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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. row — a line
  3. press — to push
  4. ground — a position
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ground — the earth
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mug — to rob
  11. row — to paddle
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mug — a cup
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mug — a face
  18. press — newspapers
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ground — crushed
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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