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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. field — a subject
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. press — a publisher
  6. ground — a position
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. field — farmland
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. field — for sport
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. press — newspapers
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rock — music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. press — to push
  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