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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. press — newspapers
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stock — goods
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. date — the fruit
  13. march — the month
  14. stock — shares
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. march — the month
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bear — the animal
  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