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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. march — music
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. roll — a cake
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. ground — crushed
  10. march — the month
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. saw — the tool
  19. march — the month
  20. key — the most important part
  21. roll — a list
  22. ground — the earth
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ground — a position

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