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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. board — a committee
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. press — a publisher
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. board — to get on
  13. wound — an injury
  14. press — to push
  15. stand — to bear
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. press — newspapers
  24. field — for sport

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