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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fork — in a road
  12. root — the cause
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. press — newspapers
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. press — a publisher

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