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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. swing — music
  5. object — to protest
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. field — a subject
  13. can — to be able to
  14. object — an aim
  15. suit — in cards
  16. band — a ring
  17. swing — in golf
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. press — to push
  22. suit — to fit
  23. swing — to play on
  24. band — a music group

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