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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. press — to push
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. press — newspapers
  12. toast — bread
  13. firm — steady
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. firm — decided
  19. foot — a measure
  20. firm — a company
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. track — a song

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