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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: row · fork · pop · leaves · bat · season · deal · press

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pop — soda
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fork — in a road
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. deal — to handle
  13. row — a line
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. press — a publisher
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pop — to visit
  19. press — newspapers
  20. season — in sport
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. press — to push
  23. season — of the year
  24. bat — in an idiom

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