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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. craft — boats
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. field — for sport
  6. press — to push
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. drill — a practice
  10. roll — a cake
  11. drill — army training
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. press — newspapers
  14. club — for golf
  15. field — farmland
  16. roll — a list
  17. drill — the tool
  18. club — for dancing
  19. press — a publisher
  20. craft — a skill
  21. field — a subject
  22. club — a group
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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