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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mine — for digging
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. perch — the fish
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. field — a subject
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. press — to push
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mark — a grade
  20. field — farmland
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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