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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: pit · charge · spring · press · perch · stem · rule · field

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pit — in a race
  3. spring — a coil
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rule — government
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stem — to come from
  9. field — farmland
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. charge — electricity
  13. spring — the season
  14. field — for sport
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. spring — of water
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. charge — a price
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. press — newspapers
  22. charge — in control
  23. field — a subject
  24. press — to push

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