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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. craft — a skill
  3. press — to push
  4. craft — boats
  5. press — newspapers
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. press — a publisher
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fine — all right
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. fine — high quality
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. branch — of a bank

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