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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ground — the earth
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ground — a position
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. press — to push
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. kick — in football
  18. degree — from a university
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stock — shares
  21. ground — crushed
  22. degree — an amount
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stock — goods

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