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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stock — shares
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stock — goods
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. saw — the tool
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. file — a line of people
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. face — to confront
  13. saw — the tool
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. file — a document
  17. face — part of the head
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. file — a tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. stock — a soup base

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