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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. ground — crushed
  3. press — newspapers
  4. sharp — clever
  5. press — a publisher
  6. ground — a position
  7. bulb — for light
  8. net — in sport
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. net — for catching
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bulb — for light
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. net — after costs
  18. last — final
  19. press — to push
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. ground — the earth

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