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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fine — high quality
  9. press — to push
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wake — a trail
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ball — a dance
  16. chest — a box
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bore — to tire
  24. chest — of your body

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