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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · field · press · firm · ruler · scale · staff · object

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. firm — steady
  3. staff — employees
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. field — a subject
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. press — a publisher
  8. firm — decided
  9. press — newspapers
  10. scale — in music
  11. press — to push
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — a stick
  14. scale — size or range
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. staff — employees
  18. object — a thing
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. firm — a company
  21. object — an aim
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. object — to protest
  24. field — for sport

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