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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 116 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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. current — electric
  3. pop — music
  4. mate — to breed
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. saw — the tool
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pop — soda
  11. press — to push
  12. saw — the tool
  13. press — newspapers
  14. current — of water
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. perch — the fish
  18. press — a publisher
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. deal — to handle
  21. current — happening now
  22. mate — a friend
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mate — a partner

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