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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pop — music
  6. row — a line
  7. press — to push
  8. land — to come down
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pop — soda
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bark — to shout
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — to paddle
  24. fork — to eat with

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