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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. ground — crushed
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. ground — a position
  10. press — to push
  11. mine — for digging
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. field — a subject
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. press — a publisher
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. perch — the fish
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. field — for sport
  22. sharp — clever
  23. ground — the earth
  24. field — farmland

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