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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pit — a hole
  5. net — for catching
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. field — farmland
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. hand — in cards
  16. net — after costs
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fork — in a road
  19. net — in sport
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. field — for sport
  22. wind — moving air
  23. field — a subject
  24. press — to push

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