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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rock — music
  4. field — a subject
  5. board — to get on
  6. field — farmland
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pitch — completely
  12. field — for sport
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rash — a series
  17. rock — a stone
  18. board — a committee
  19. hand — help
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. hand — in cards

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