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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. land — ground
  3. ground — the earth
  4. press — newspapers
  5. court — of a king
  6. roll — a list
  7. bat — the animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. court — of law
  12. ground — a position
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. roll — a cake
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. press — a publisher
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. press — to push
  23. court — for sport
  24. ground — crushed

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