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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: coach · press · fine · face · foot · field · capital · object

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. object — a thing
  4. press — to push
  5. capital — money
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. object — to protest
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. object — an aim
  12. capital — a city
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. field — for sport
  15. foot — a measure
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. face — to confront
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fine — high quality

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