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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. date — the fruit
  5. game — a match
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. branch — a division
  12. mark — a trace
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ground — crushed
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. press — to push
  20. ground — a position
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stand — for spectators
  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