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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. track — a path
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. press — to push
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bulb — for light
  12. field — a subject
  13. craft — boats
  14. track — to keep track
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pitch — completely
  19. press — newspapers
  20. scale — size or range
  21. track — a song
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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