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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. shower — to wash
  3. press — to push
  4. present — a gift
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. fine — high quality
  9. shower — rain
  10. fine — all right
  11. present — there
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. present — the time now
  15. bank — for money
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. press — newspapers
  18. craft — boats
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bank — for money
  21. charge — electricity
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bank — of a river
  24. craft — a skill

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