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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. press — to push
  12. cap — a lid
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ground — a position
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cap — a hat

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