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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. stock — goods
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pit — a hole
  6. press — newspapers
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pit — in a race
  10. net — in sport
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. net — for catching
  13. press — to push
  14. net — after costs
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stock — shares
  17. plane — a tool
  18. press — a publisher
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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