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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mug — to rob
  4. press — to push
  5. cue — for pool
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mug — a face
  11. cue — a signal
  12. file — a tool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. march — the month
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ground — crushed
  19. press — newspapers
  20. march — music
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. march — the month

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