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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. ground — a position
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. land — ground
  9. press — to push
  10. land — to come down
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ground — the earth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. press — newspapers
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stock — shares
  18. land — a country
  19. club — for golf
  20. stock — goods
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lie — an untruth

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