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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. press — newspapers
  4. present — a gift
  5. press — to push
  6. firm — steady
  7. stem — to come from
  8. present — the time now
  9. firm — decided
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fork — in a road
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. press — a publisher
  24. present — there

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