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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. firm — steady
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. firm — decided
  5. season — in sport
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ground — a position
  10. court — of law
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. firm — a company
  13. season — of the year
  14. court — of a king
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ground — crushed
  17. press — to push
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. court — for sport
  24. press — newspapers

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