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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 120 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stock — goods
  4. press — a publisher
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. press — to push
  7. rule — a law
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stock — shares
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rule — government
  13. field — farmland
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. field — for sport
  17. rush — hurry
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fork — in a road
  21. field — a subject
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fork — a garden tool

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