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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. cue — for pool
  4. craft — a skill
  5. toast — bread
  6. cue — a hint
  7. craft — boats
  8. march — music
  9. press — a publisher
  10. track — to keep track
  11. field — a subject
  12. capital — money
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. march — the month
  16. track — a path
  17. cue — a signal
  18. capital — a city
  19. track — a song
  20. field — farmland
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. march — the month
  24. field — for sport

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