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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. net — after costs
  5. can — to be able to
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. press — newspapers
  9. club — for golf
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rule — a law
  12. shower — rain
  13. press — to push
  14. can — a tin
  15. fork — in a road
  16. net — in sport
  17. can — a tin
  18. press — a publisher
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. net — for catching
  23. arm — part of the body
  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