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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. press — to push
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. track — a path
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. track — a song
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fork — a garden tool

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