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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: ground · mouse · bay · last · track · cold · sharp · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. track — a path
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. ground — the earth
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. press — to push
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — not warm
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. ground — a position
  23. last — final
  24. track — a song

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