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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pass — a permit
  9. drill — a practice
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. press — to push
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. press — a publisher
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. toast — bread
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. drill — the tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ground — the earth

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