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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bank — of a river
  5. press — to push
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. press — newspapers
  13. field — for sport
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bank — for money
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. field — farmland
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bank — for money
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. field — a subject

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