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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 116 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pop — soda
  4. field — a subject
  5. press — a publisher
  6. field — for sport
  7. pop — music
  8. field — farmland
  9. press — to push
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. drill — a practice
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. drill — army training
  18. pop — to visit
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. press — newspapers
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. racket — for tennis

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