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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. mate — a friend
  3. field — a subject
  4. object — a thing
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. rule — government
  8. fall — the season
  9. mate — to breed
  10. field — for sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fall — to drop
  14. object — to protest
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. deal — to handle
  18. object — an aim
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rule — a law
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bear — the animal

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