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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. field — farmland
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. field — a subject
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. field — for sport
  12. charge — a price
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mark — a grade
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. press — to push
  24. pass — to spend time

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