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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. object — an aim
  5. press — newspapers
  6. field — for sport
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. last — finally
  12. race — a contest
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. last — to go on
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. ball — a dance
  18. press — to push
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ball — a great time
  21. last — final
  22. race — the arms race
  23. press — a publisher
  24. race — humankind

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