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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. ground — a position
  5. fine — high quality
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fine — all right
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. prune — to trim
  13. sharp — clever
  14. prune — to trim
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. chair — a leader
  17. press — a publisher
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. branch — a division
  22. press — to push
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fan — a supporter

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