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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. suit — to fit
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. net — in sport
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. net — after costs
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. net — for catching
  13. branch — a division
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ground — a position
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. suit — clothes
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ground — crushed
  24. press — to push

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