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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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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: press · fork · race · kid · can · shower · suit · fine

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. kid — child
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. suit — in cards
  8. press — a publisher
  9. shower — to wash
  10. can — a tin
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fine — all right
  14. suit — to fit
  15. press — to push
  16. shower — rain
  17. can — a tin
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. press — newspapers
  21. race — humankind
  22. can — to be able to
  23. suit — clothes
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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