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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: stem · patient · can · leaves · pitch · field · present · press

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. press — a publisher
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. present — there
  8. press — to push
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pitch — completely
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. present — the time now
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. present — a gift
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. press — newspapers
  24. can — a tin

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