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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. press — newspapers
  3. net — after costs
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fork — in a road
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. date — the fruit
  8. spell — a short time
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. press — to push
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spell — letters
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. net — in sport
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spell — magic

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