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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. field — farmland
  3. press — newspapers
  4. field — for sport
  5. press — to push
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rush — hurry
  9. vault — a safe
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. press — a publisher
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bass — low music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. field — a subject

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