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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. press — a publisher
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. press — to push
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mark — a trace
  12. capital — money
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. press — newspapers
  17. drill — army training
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. drill — a practice

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