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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. press — newspapers
  5. last — final
  6. land — to come down
  7. lie — to recline
  8. land — ground
  9. cue — for pool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. field — farmland
  12. cue — a signal
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cue — a hint
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. last — to go on
  17. field — a subject
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. land — a country
  21. last — finally
  22. press — to push
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stand — on your feet

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