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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. bound — tied together
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bound — obliged
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. present — the time now
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bound — certain
  11. press — a publisher
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. press — to push
  15. present — there
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fork — in a road
  24. drill — a practice

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