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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. suit — to fit
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. roll — a cake
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. field — farmland
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. press — newspapers
  16. shower — rain
  17. field — a subject
  18. press — a publisher
  19. suit — clothes
  20. press — to push
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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