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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. root — the cause
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. field — farmland
  12. press — to push
  13. current — of water
  14. root — of a plant
  15. last — finally
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. root — of a word
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. current — happening now
  22. pitch — completely
  23. firm — decided
  24. current — electric

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