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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. field — for sport
  4. press — to push
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — clever
  7. field — a subject
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. charge — a price
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. press — a publisher
  15. charge — in control
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. charge — electricity
  22. press — newspapers
  23. field — farmland
  24. mouse — the animal

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