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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mark — a grade
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. lean — to bend
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. press — a publisher
  8. field — for sport
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mark — a trace
  12. press — to push
  13. present — the time now
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pitch — completely
  16. field — a subject
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. press — newspapers
  19. present — a gift
  20. chip — for betting
  21. field — farmland
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lean — thin

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