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

Word bank: bound · fork · press · field · ruler · pit · stick · wave

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. field — a subject
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. field — farmland
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. press — to push
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bound — certain
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. field — for sport
  24. press — newspapers

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