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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: field · foot · row · branch · press · season · staff · mate

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. press — a publisher
  3. row — a line
  4. press — newspapers
  5. row — to paddle
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. foot — a measure
  8. field — farmland
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. press — to push
  12. season — in sport
  13. staff — employees
  14. field — for sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. mate — to breed
  17. staff — employees
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. field — a subject
  22. branch — a division
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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