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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. firm — decided
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. hand — help
  8. field — farmland
  9. pass — a permit
  10. ground — a position
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. firm — steady
  15. field — for sport
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. field — a subject
  18. ground — crushed
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. craft — boats
  22. press — to push
  23. hand — in cards
  24. firm — a company

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