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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pass — a permit
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. press — to push
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mouse — for a computer

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