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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · press · capital · rock · arm · lash · jam · field

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. capital — money
  3. mine — for digging
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. field — a subject
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rock — music
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. capital — a city
  12. field — farmland
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. field — for sport
  18. press — to push
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rock — to move gently

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