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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. lean — to bend
  4. field — farmland
  5. cue — for pool
  6. press — to push
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — the most important part
  9. field — for sport
  10. key — for a lock
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lean — thin
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cue — a hint
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ball — a dance
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. field — a subject
  24. key — in music

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