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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. face — part of the head
  4. craft — boats
  5. chip — for betting
  6. field — farmland
  7. chip — to eat
  8. net — for catching
  9. face — to confront
  10. press — a publisher
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stand — to bear
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. craft — a skill
  19. press — newspapers
  20. field — for sport
  21. face — to point toward
  22. field — a subject
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. press — to push

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