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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. press — newspapers
  3. foot — a measure
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. degree — an amount
  7. ground — crushed
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. track — a song
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ground — a position
  12. staff — employees
  13. spring — a coil
  14. staff — a stick
  15. press — to push
  16. spring — of water
  17. track — a path
  18. degree — temperature
  19. spring — the season
  20. track — to keep track
  21. staff — employees
  22. land — ground
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ground — the earth

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