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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 124 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. press — newspapers
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. field — farmland
  6. band — a ring
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. band — a music group
  11. press — a publisher
  12. field — a subject
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. field — for sport
  16. fork — in a road
  17. date — the fruit
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. safe — out of danger
  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