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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. staff — employees
  3. press — newspapers
  4. capital — a city
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ground — the earth
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. clip — a video
  9. ground — a position
  10. staff — a stick
  11. clip — for paper
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. track — a path
  16. press — to push
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — a publisher
  19. track — a song
  20. staff — employees
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. capital — money
  23. clip — to cut
  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