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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. field — farmland
  3. ground — crushed
  4. field — for sport
  5. fall — the season
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. rest — a break
  11. ground — a position
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. staff — employees
  16. field — a subject
  17. press — to push
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fall — to drop
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. rest — what's left

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