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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. hand — in cards
  3. field — a subject
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pitch — completely
  7. charge — electricity
  8. field — farmland
  9. rash — a series
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. field — for sport
  13. hand — help
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. charge — in control
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. press — to push
  21. charge — a price
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rush — to hurry

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