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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. firm — decided
  3. ground — crushed
  4. spring — the season
  5. charge — electricity
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spring — of water
  9. press — a publisher
  10. firm — steady
  11. press — newspapers
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. spring — a coil
  15. press — to push
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. firm — a company
  19. charge — in control
  20. cue — a hint
  21. ground — the earth
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. charge — a price
  24. field — farmland

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