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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. field — for sport
  4. present — a gift
  5. press — newspapers
  6. key — in music
  7. field — a subject
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. press — to push
  12. stem — to come from
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. present — the time now
  20. field — farmland
  21. face — part of the head
  22. present — there
  23. key — for a lock
  24. press — a publisher

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