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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · foot · hand · ground · fine · file · press · mark

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. fine — high quality
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. ground — the earth
  8. press — to push
  9. ground — a position
  10. foot — a measure
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hand — help
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ground — crushed
  17. press — a publisher
  18. hand — in cards
  19. file — a line of people
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fine — all right
  24. hand — part of the body

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