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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. present — the time now
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rest — a break
  5. press — a publisher
  6. ground — a position
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. press — newspapers
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. root — the cause
  17. ground — the earth
  18. root — of a word
  19. court — of a king
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. press — to push
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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