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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. toast — bread
  8. field — a subject
  9. tube — a container
  10. press — to push
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. field — farmland
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stand — to bear
  20. field — for sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ruler — for measuring

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