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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. present — the time now
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. press — a publisher
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. press — to push
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. race — humankind
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. race — a contest
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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