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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. field — for sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. press — to push
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. season — of the year
  14. field — a subject
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. field — farmland
  17. pass — a permit
  18. season — in sport
  19. stock — goods
  20. bark — to shout
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stock — shares
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pass — to succeed

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