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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. row — to paddle
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mate — a friend
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. press — a publisher
  19. row — a line
  20. press — to push
  21. mark — a grade
  22. dip — to sink
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. dip — a sauce

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