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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. board — to get on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. board — a committee
  13. fork — in a road
  14. press — to push
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. band — a music group
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mine — for digging
  23. band — a ring
  24. mine — an explosive

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