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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. roll — a cake
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fork — in a road
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. row — to paddle
  12. key — for a lock
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. press — to push
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. press — newspapers
  24. roll — a list

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