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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — a committee
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. press — to push
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — to get on
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bear — the animal
  20. game — wild animals
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ground — crushed
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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