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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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 — to push
  2. field — farmland
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. current — of water
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. press — newspapers
  8. squash — to crush
  9. current — happening now
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pass — a permit
  12. key — the most important part
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. key — for a lock
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. key — in music
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. current — electric
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. field — a subject
  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