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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fork — in a road
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bass — low music
  5. bat — the animal
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. press — to push
  13. pound — a weight
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. press — a publisher
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bat — for baseball

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