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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fine — all right
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. court — for sport
  6. spring — of water
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. spring — the season
  11. fine — high quality
  12. key — in music
  13. spring — a coil
  14. key — the most important part
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bass — low music
  18. fork — in a road
  19. press — to push
  20. court — of law
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. court — of a king
  24. key — for a lock

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