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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. suit — in cards
  3. field — farmland
  4. press — a publisher
  5. club — a group
  6. field — for sport
  7. club — for golf
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bore — to drill
  10. field — a subject
  11. club — for dancing
  12. suit — to fit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bore — to tire
  16. press — newspapers
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. press — to push
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. suit — clothes
  24. prune — to trim

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