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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 124 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. press — to push
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. field — a subject
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. field — farmland
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. field — for sport
  15. press — a publisher
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. stock — goods
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stock — shares
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. prune — to trim

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