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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rash — a series
  4. ground — a position
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. press — a publisher
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. ball — a dance
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ground — crushed
  13. press — newspapers
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ground — the earth
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. press — to push
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. season — in sport
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. season — of the year
  24. rash — on the skin

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