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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. last — to go on
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. press — newspapers
  8. capital — money
  9. field — for sport
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. last — finally
  13. prune — to trim
  14. press — to push
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. field — a subject
  19. press — a publisher
  20. prune — to trim
  21. capital — a city
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. last — final
  24. field — farmland

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