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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fork — in a road
  3. date — the fruit
  4. track — to keep track
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. kick — in football
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. tube — a container
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. press — to push
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. press — a publisher
  20. scale — in music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. scale — size or range
  23. tube — the underground
  24. kick — a thrill

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