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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. field — a subject
  4. stand — to bear
  5. current — of water
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. current — electric
  8. field — farmland
  9. pitch — completely
  10. court — of a king
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. field — for sport
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. court — for sport
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. current — happening now
  18. press — newspapers
  19. court — of law
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. hide — to keep secret

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