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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. cell — in biology
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. court — for sport
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. court — of law
  10. field — for sport
  11. press — a publisher
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. ground — a position
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. field — a subject
  23. court — of a king
  24. field — farmland

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