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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. last — final
  5. ground — the earth
  6. charge — in control
  7. press — to push
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bank — of a river
  12. press — newspapers
  13. last — to go on
  14. pound — a weight
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bank — for money
  17. drill — army training
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. charge — a price
  20. last — finally
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pound — for dogs

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