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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. spell — magic
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. press — newspapers
  7. deal — to handle
  8. track — to keep track
  9. current — of water
  10. press — to push
  11. track — a path
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. current — electric
  14. spell — letters
  15. field — farmland
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — happening now
  18. spell — a short time
  19. press — a publisher
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. track — a song

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