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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. present — there
  5. fork — in a road
  6. press — to push
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. present — a gift
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. club — for dancing

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