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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. press — to push
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. field — farmland
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. firm — a company
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. field — a subject
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. last — final
  23. pitch — completely
  24. press — a publisher

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