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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 124 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. drill — a practice
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rock — a stone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. field — for sport
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. capital — money
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. capital — a city
  15. drill — army training
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. field — farmland
  20. saw — the tool
  21. drill — the tool
  22. press — to push
  23. rock — music
  24. field — a subject

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