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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. craft — a skill
  3. press — a publisher
  4. field — for sport
  5. craft — boats
  6. bank — for money
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pit — in a race
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. field — a subject
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bank — of a river
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. tube — a container
  23. field — farmland
  24. bank — for money

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