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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ground — a position
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. track — a path
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ground — the earth
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bound — certain
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fine — all right
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. ground — crushed
  21. track — a song
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fine — high quality

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