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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fine — high quality
  4. track — a song
  5. press — a publisher
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. press — to push
  10. fine — all right
  11. deal — to handle
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ground — crushed
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. track — to keep track
  18. club — a group
  19. press — newspapers
  20. club — for golf
  21. track — a path
  22. ground — a position
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ground — the earth

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