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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. current — of water
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. court — of a king
  6. ground — the earth
  7. current — electric
  8. ground — a position
  9. land — ground
  10. current — happening now
  11. court — of law
  12. ball — a great time
  13. land — to come down
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ball — a dance
  19. court — for sport
  20. lean — thin
  21. land — a country
  22. press — to push
  23. rock — music
  24. press — newspapers

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