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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. game — wild animals
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. key — the most important part
  10. press — newspapers
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — a match
  14. kick — in football
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fork — in a road
  18. key — in music
  19. can — a tin
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. can — to be able to
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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