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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: foot · leaves · track · current · press · ground · game · arm

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. press — newspapers
  4. track — a song
  5. press — a publisher
  6. current — of water
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. current — happening now
  9. ground — crushed
  10. track — a path
  11. game — a match
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. press — to push
  19. ground — the earth
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. track — to keep track
  24. current — electric

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