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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cue — a hint
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. press — a publisher
  7. game — a match
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cue — a signal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. press — to push
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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