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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. march — music
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. press — to push
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ground — the earth
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mark — a trace
  10. march — the month
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cap — of ice
  14. press — a publisher
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rash — a series
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rash — hasty
  20. press — newspapers
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. ground — a position
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. march — the month

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