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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. object — a thing
  3. mark — a trace
  4. file — a document
  5. cap — a hat
  6. object — to protest
  7. file — a tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. file — a line of people
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cap — a lid
  12. board — a committee
  13. press — to push
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. field — a subject
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. field — for sport
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mark — a grade
  20. press — a publisher
  21. perch — the fish
  22. object — an aim
  23. cap — of ice
  24. board — to get on

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