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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. press — newspapers
  3. file — a tool
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. degree — from a university
  13. clip — to cut
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ground — a position
  17. press — a publisher
  18. degree — an amount
  19. file — a document
  20. ground — the earth
  21. press — to push
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. ball — a great time

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