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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. ground — crushed
  3. press — a publisher
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mug — to rob
  6. last — finally
  7. firm — steady
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bound — tied together
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mug — a face
  12. last — to go on
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. track — a path
  16. bound — certain
  17. last — final
  18. ground — a position
  19. press — to push
  20. track — a song
  21. mug — a cup
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bound — obliged
  24. ground — the earth

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