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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cold — not warm
  5. season — in sport
  6. bound — certain
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bound — tied together
  11. season — of the year
  12. bound — obliged
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. press — to push
  18. cold — the Cold War

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