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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. press — a publisher
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. charge — in control
  6. face — part of the head
  7. court — of a king
  8. field — for sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. press — newspapers
  11. scale — in music
  12. court — for sport
  13. press — to push
  14. charge — a price
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. charge — electricity
  18. face — to point toward
  19. court — of law
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fan — a supporter

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