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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. present — the time now
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. net — for catching
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. tear — to rip
  9. present — a gift
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. net — after costs
  13. march — music
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. march — the month
  20. deal — to handle
  21. tear — from crying
  22. march — the month
  23. present — there
  24. net — in sport

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