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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. ground — crushed
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. press — to push
  6. ground — a position
  7. press — newspapers
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. game — a match
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — the month
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bulb — for light
  18. press — a publisher
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. march — the month
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. march — music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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