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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. net — after costs
  4. mine — for digging
  5. press — to push
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stand — to bear
  15. net — for catching
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. net — in sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pound — a weight

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