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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. scale — in music
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. land — ground
  6. press — to push
  7. net — for catching
  8. scale — size or range
  9. present — there
  10. press — newspapers
  11. net — after costs
  12. press — a publisher
  13. net — in sport
  14. land — a country
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. land — to come down
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. present — a gift
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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