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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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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: stem · field · foot · toast · wake · season · ground · press

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. press — a publisher
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. season — in sport
  6. ground — a position
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. toast — bread
  9. stem — to come from
  10. ground — crushed
  11. press — to push
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. season — of the year
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. foot — a measure
  16. field — for sport
  17. ground — the earth
  18. press — newspapers
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. field — a subject
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. field — farmland

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