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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bulb — for light
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. press — to push
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fine — all right
  15. game — a match
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ground — a position
  20. game — wild animals
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bulb — for light

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