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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. net — after costs
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. net — in sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. press — newspapers
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. net — for catching
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. lean — thin
  18. press — to push
  19. wound — an injury
  20. field — for sport
  21. root — of a word
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  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