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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. object — an aim
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. press — a publisher
  5. object — to protest
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mark — a grade
  9. can — a tin
  10. field — for sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rule — a law
  13. press — newspapers
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. object — a thing
  16. field — a subject
  17. can — to be able to
  18. season — in sport
  19. rule — government
  20. can — a tin
  21. mark — a trace
  22. season — of the year
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. field — farmland

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