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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. press — to push
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. row — a line
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pop — music
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cue — a hint
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pop — soda
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. row — to paddle
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. toast — bread

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