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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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 — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. fine — all right
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. press — to push
  7. bound — certain
  8. firm — decided
  9. court — of a king
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bound — obliged
  15. press — newspapers
  16. ground — crushed
  17. track — to keep track
  18. firm — steady
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. firm — a company
  21. track — a path
  22. court — of law
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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