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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. kick — in football
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. deal — to handle
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mark — a grade
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. field — farmland
  14. mark — a trace
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fall — to drop
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. chair — a leader
  21. press — a publisher
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fall — to drop
  24. press — to push

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