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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. press — newspapers
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. press — to push
  23. bat — the animal
  24. foot — a measure

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