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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 116 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. craft — a skill
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ground — a position
  12. press — to push
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bat — the animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. craft — boats
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. deal — to handle
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. ball — a great time

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