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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. press — to push
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fork — in a road
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. root — of a word
  16. press — newspapers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kid — child
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — the amount
  22. sharp — clever
  23. kid — to tease
  24. content — happy

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