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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pop — soda
  5. kid — child
  6. ball — a dance
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. press — a publisher
  10. spring — of water
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. spring — a coil
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. ball — a great time
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spring — the season
  23. pop — music
  24. press — to push

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