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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ground — the earth
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. ground — a position
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. roll — a cake
  9. cap — a lid
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. roll — a list
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. press — to push
  17. stock — goods
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. stock — shares
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fork — in a road
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. leaves — to go away

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