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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stand — to bear
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. last — to go on
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. press — to push
  13. last — final
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. branch — a division
  18. press — a publisher
  19. last — finally
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. season — of the year
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. season — in sport

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