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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. roll — a cake
  6. press — to push
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. field — for sport
  10. squash — the sport
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. snap — to click
  13. field — farmland
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fine — high quality
  16. roll — a list
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. field — a subject
  21. fine — all right
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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