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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mark — a trace
  4. last — to go on
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ground — a position
  9. degree — an amount
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rock — music
  12. degree — from a university
  13. press — newspapers
  14. last — final
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mark — a grade
  17. board — to get on
  18. club — for golf
  19. press — to push
  20. degree — temperature
  21. club — a group
  22. board — a committee
  23. last — finally
  24. club — for dancing

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