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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. season — in sport
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rest — what's left
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. press — newspapers
  11. scale — size or range
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. scale — in music
  16. press — to push
  17. sharp — clever
  18. season — of the year
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pound — a weight
  21. press — a publisher
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rest — a break

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