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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. scale — in music
  3. press — to push
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bear — the animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bear — the animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. scale — size or range

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