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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. roll — a cake
  3. firm — a company
  4. bulb — for light
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. capital — money
  9. firm — decided
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cap — a hat
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ground — the earth
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. ground — crushed
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stand — to bear
  18. firm — steady
  19. bulb — for light
  20. capital — a city
  21. cap — of ice
  22. roll — a list
  23. press — to push
  24. bulb — of a plant

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