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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. press — newspapers
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ground — crushed
  8. press — to push
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. ground — the earth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bank — of a river
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bass — low music
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — the instrument

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