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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. fall — to drop
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. ground — the earth
  6. object — an aim
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. object — a thing
  16. fall — the season
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. chip — to eat
  22. object — to protest
  23. press — newspapers
  24. chip — for betting

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