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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: rock · game · press · pit · fan · field · present · nail

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. present — the time now
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. press — to push
  13. rock — music
  14. field — for sport
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pit — a hole
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pit — in a race
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. nail — on a finger

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