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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. ground — a position
  3. mate — a partner
  4. ground — the earth
  5. press — to push
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rush — hurry
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. press — newspapers
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pop — music
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fine — all right
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mate — a friend

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