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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. press — a publisher
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rule — government
  6. press — to push
  7. rash — a series
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rule — a law
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. kick — in football
  13. pop — music
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pop — soda
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rule — to rule out

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