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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 116 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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pop — to visit
  4. press — a publisher
  5. object — a thing
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pop — music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bark — to shout
  15. press — to push
  16. ground — a position
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. object — an aim
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. object — to protest

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