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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. shower — rain
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. race — a contest
  6. press — newspapers
  7. race — the arms race
  8. row — a line
  9. firm — steady
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fork — in a road
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. firm — decided
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. race — humankind

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