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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. field — for sport
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. press — to push
  5. stand — to bear
  6. field — farmland
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. present — there
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. field — a subject
  18. present — the time now
  19. mate — to breed
  20. present — a gift
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mark — a trace
  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