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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: date · staff · ground · press · mark · ruler · deal · hide

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. ground — a position
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — crushed
  9. date — the fruit
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. press — to push
  15. mark — a trace
  16. staff — employees
  17. ground — the earth
  18. press — newspapers
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. staff — a stick
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. press — a publisher
  24. staff — employees

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