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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bound — tied together
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bound — certain
  10. chip — for betting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. press — newspapers
  13. staff — a stick
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bound — obliged
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. press — a publisher
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. press — to push
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ground — a position
  23. row — a line
  24. bear — to put up with

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