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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rock — music
  10. board — to get on
  11. pitch — completely
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rock — a stone
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. press — to push
  18. field — farmland
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. tube — a container
  22. current — happening now
  23. field — for sport
  24. board — a committee

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