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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. present — a gift
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pound — a weight
  14. press — newspapers
  15. key — in music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. craft — boats
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bulb — for light
  22. dip — to sink
  23. key — the most important part
  24. dip — a sauce

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