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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. track — a path
  5. press — to push
  6. bulb — for light
  7. track — to keep track
  8. press — newspapers
  9. field — farmland
  10. spell — magic
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. spell — letters
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. press — a publisher

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