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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. press — newspapers
  3. field — a subject
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. land — to come down
  6. swing — music
  7. track — a song
  8. field — for sport
  9. swing — in golf
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. root — of a plant
  12. land — ground
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — to play on
  16. root — the cause
  17. hand — in cards
  18. land — a country
  19. field — farmland
  20. root — of a word
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. press — to push
  23. track — a path
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com