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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mark — a grade
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ground — the earth
  15. field — for sport
  16. ground — crushed
  17. charge — a price
  18. press — to push
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ground — a position
  22. charge — in control
  23. board — a flat piece
  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