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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. root — of a word
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fork — in a road
  9. drill — the tool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. clip — a video
  14. press — to push
  15. march — the month
  16. root — the cause
  17. drill — army training
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. drill — a practice
  20. press — a publisher
  21. root — of a plant
  22. clip — for paper
  23. firm — decided
  24. clip — to cut

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