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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: deal · fork · race · hide · court · press

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. press — to push
  3. race — the arms race
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fork — in a road
  6. court — of law
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. race — humankind
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. race — a contest
  14. court — for sport
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. court — of a king
  18. fork — to eat with

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