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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bound — tied together
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bound — certain
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bound — obliged
  10. press — to push
  11. race — a contest
  12. court — of a king
  13. field — farmland
  14. file — a tool
  15. court — of law
  16. race — the arms race
  17. field — a subject
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. race — humankind
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. court — for sport
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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