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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. ground — a position
  4. press — to push
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. press — newspapers
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. track — a song
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. kick — in football
  16. ground — the earth
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. mine — for digging
  24. kick — with a leg

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