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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. track — a song
  5. staff — employees
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rock — music
  10. press — a publisher
  11. staff — employees
  12. court — of law
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. press — to push
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fork — in a road
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. track — a path
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. track — to keep track

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