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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pop — to visit
  3. clip — for paper
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. press — newspapers
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. clip — a video
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pop — music
  12. press — to push
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pop — soda
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fork — in a road

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