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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bank — of a river
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bank — for money
  5. track — to keep track
  6. field — a subject
  7. track — a path
  8. field — for sport
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rule — a law
  13. staff — employees
  14. press — a publisher
  15. staff — employees
  16. rule — government
  17. track — a song
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bank — for money
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. field — farmland
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. trunk — of a car

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