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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. firm — steady
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. firm — decided
  7. press — newspapers
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. court — of law
  10. ground — the earth
  11. press — a publisher
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. court — of a king
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. plane — a tool
  17. press — to push
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. firm — a company
  21. court — for sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. ground — crushed

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