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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pass — a permit
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. capital — a city
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. shower — rain
  13. ground — a position
  14. capital — money
  15. press — to push
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ground — crushed
  18. press — newspapers
  19. kick — in football
  20. ground — the earth
  21. press — a publisher
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. capital — a big letter

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