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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ground — a position
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bound — certain
  7. field — for sport
  8. press — a publisher
  9. field — a subject
  10. staff — a stick
  11. field — farmland
  12. present — there
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. staff — employees
  18. bound — tied together
  19. present — the time now
  20. press — to push
  21. bound — obliged
  22. staff — employees
  23. present — a gift
  24. ground — crushed

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