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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: pop · sharp · temple · deal · ball · fork · press · present

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pop — music
  4. press — to push
  5. present — the time now
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fork — in a road
  8. sharp — clever
  9. press — a publisher
  10. deal — to handle
  11. press — newspapers
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. fork — a garden tool

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