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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. ground — the earth
  3. press — a publisher
  4. scale — in music
  5. press — to push
  6. land — a country
  7. ground — a position
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. present — there
  12. ground — crushed
  13. press — newspapers
  14. present — a gift
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. present — the time now
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. land — ground
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mouse — the animal

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