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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. press — to push
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mine — for digging
  15. squash — the sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. press — a publisher
  20. tube — a container
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. squash — to crush
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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