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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. field — for sport
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stand — to bear
  6. field — a subject
  7. mug — a cup
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. degree — an amount
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. press — to push
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mug — a face
  23. field — farmland
  24. mug — to rob

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