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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bear — the animal
  3. press — a publisher
  4. field — farmland
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. field — a subject
  7. rule — a law
  8. staff — employees
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rule — government
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. press — newspapers
  16. field — for sport
  17. staff — a stick
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. press — to push
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bear — the animal

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