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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. net — in sport
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. press — newspapers
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fall — the season
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fall — to drop
  12. track — a path
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pound — a weight
  15. fall — to drop
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. net — after costs
  22. track — a song
  23. fork — in a road
  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