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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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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: pop · season · press · face · ball · mark · deal · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. press — newspapers
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pop — soda
  6. ground — crushed
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mark — a trace
  10. press — a publisher
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ground — a position
  13. press — to push
  14. ball — a dance
  15. season — of the year
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mark — a grade
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. face — to confront
  21. pop — music
  22. ball — a great time
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. ball — a round shape

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