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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 116 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bass — low music
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. press — newspapers
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bear — the animal
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. sharp — clever

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