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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. staff — employees
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. game — a match
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. capital — money
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lean — thin
  11. field — farmland
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. press — to push
  14. field — for sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. staff — a stick
  19. lean — to bend
  20. game — wild animals
  21. staff — employees
  22. field — a subject
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. capital — a city

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