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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. press — a publisher
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. race — the arms race
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ground — crushed
  7. roll — a list
  8. ground — the earth
  9. race — humankind
  10. press — newspapers
  11. race — a contest
  12. track — a song
  13. roll — a cake
  14. ground — a position
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. squash — to crush
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. foot — a measure
  20. track — a path
  21. squash — the sport
  22. press — to push
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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