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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. land — ground
  3. press — newspapers
  4. land — a country
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. ground — a position
  9. press — a publisher
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rash — a series
  12. current — of water
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rash — hasty
  15. current — happening now
  16. land — to come down
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. scale — in music
  20. press — to push
  21. current — electric
  22. ground — the earth
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. squash — the sport

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