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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 116 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. chair — a leader
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mine — for digging
  19. branch — a division
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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