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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. sharp — clever
  4. field — farmland
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. press — newspapers
  8. field — for sport
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. field — a subject
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bat — the animal
  19. press — to push
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. key — in music
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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