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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. game — a match
  2. fork — in a road
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. object — a thing
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. press — newspapers
  7. content — the amount
  8. object — to protest
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. row — a line
  14. hand — in cards
  15. object — an aim
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. game — wild animals
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. press — to push
  21. content — happy
  22. press — a publisher
  23. hand — help
  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