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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bore — to tire
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. toast — bread
  11. root — of a plant
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. root — of a word
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. root — the cause
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. press — newspapers
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. press — to push
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cabinet — ministers

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