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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. field — for sport
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. press — to push
  9. field — a subject
  10. press — a publisher
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. swing — music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pit — a hole
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pit — in a race
  18. deal — to handle
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rest — what's left
  22. field — farmland
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. deal — an agreement

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