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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ground — a position
  4. cap — of ice
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. press — to push
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rule — a law
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rule — government
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rule — to rule out

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