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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. ground — a position
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. track — a path
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. mark — a grade
  19. ground — crushed
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bulb — of a plant

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