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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ground — crushed
  4. swing — music
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fine — all right
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. current — electric
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — a practice
  11. press — newspapers
  12. net — for catching
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. current — happening now
  15. ground — a position
  16. swing — in golf
  17. drill — army training
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. net — after costs
  20. fine — high quality
  21. current — of water
  22. press — to push
  23. net — in sport
  24. drill — the tool

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