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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bore — to tire
  3. season — of the year
  4. ground — a position
  5. vault — a safe
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ground — the earth
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. press — to push
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mark — a trace
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. press — newspapers
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. court — of law
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. court — of a king
  23. season — in sport
  24. court — for 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