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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. tube — the underground
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. field — farmland
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. toast — bread
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tube — a container
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. firm — decided
  13. press — to push
  14. field — a subject
  15. rest — a break
  16. field — for sport
  17. press — newspapers
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cue — a signal
  20. firm — steady
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rest — what's left

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