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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. press — newspapers
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bound — certain
  6. ground — a position
  7. bound — tied together
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pound — a weight
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stock — goods
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stock — shares
  23. field — farmland
  24. pound — to hit hard

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