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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. scale — in music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. band — a ring
  6. rash — hasty
  7. hand — help
  8. scale — size or range
  9. press — a publisher
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rash — a series
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. season — in sport
  18. band — a music group
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. press — to push
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. hand — in cards
  24. season — of the year

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