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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: land · press · ground · sharp · fork · leaves

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  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. land — ground
  2. ground — a position
  3. press — to push
  4. land — a country
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. ground — the earth
  10. press — newspapers
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ground — crushed
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. land — to come down
  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