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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fork — in a road
  3. press — a publisher
  4. march — music
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. deal — to handle
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. march — the month
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. march — the month
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bark — to shout
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. press — to push
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. press — newspapers

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