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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. field — a subject
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ground — the earth
  7. field — farmland
  8. press — a publisher
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. press — to push
  12. track — a song
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. field — for sport
  22. track — a path
  23. swing — in golf
  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