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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · press · firm · fork · kid · cabinet

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. firm — decided
  5. press — to push
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mate — a partner
  8. kid — to tease
  9. firm — steady
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mate — to breed
  13. firm — a company
  14. fork — in a road
  15. kid — child
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mate — a friend
  18. press — a publisher

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