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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. press — newspapers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. track — a path
  5. bat — the animal
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. track — a song
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mine — for digging
  24. track — to keep track

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