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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 124 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. field — farmland
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. charge — a price
  5. march — the month
  6. fine — all right
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. field — for sport
  9. press — to push
  10. charge — electricity
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. march — music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. press — newspapers
  18. charge — in control
  19. march — the month
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. field — a subject
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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