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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 116 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wake — a trail
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ground — a position
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ground — crushed
  9. press — to push
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stock — goods
  15. press — a publisher
  16. sharp — clever
  17. field — farmland
  18. craft — boats
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. field — a subject
  22. tube — a container
  23. stock — shares
  24. field — for sport

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