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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · game · bat · fork · rush · sharp · ground · press

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. object — to protest
  5. ground — the earth
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ground — a position
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. press — a publisher
  11. sharp — clever
  12. press — to push
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ground — crushed
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bat — the animal
  22. game — a match
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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