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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ground — crushed
  5. firm — a company
  6. stand — to bear
  7. press — newspapers
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ground — a position
  14. cap — a hat
  15. perch — the fish
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cap — of ice
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. net — in sport
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ground — the earth
  22. press — to push
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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