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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. field — farmland
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. degree — temperature
  8. field — a subject
  9. degree — from a university
  10. press — to push
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. field — for sport
  14. press — newspapers
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. degree — an amount
  21. press — a publisher
  22. craft — boats
  23. mug — a face
  24. craft — a skill

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