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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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. field — for sport
  4. rash — a series
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. rash — hasty
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pound — a weight
  18. ball — a great time
  19. deal — to handle
  20. field — a subject
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. root — of a word
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ball — a dance

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