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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: bay · fork · nail · toast · press · game · kick · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. press — newspapers
  3. season — of the year
  4. toast — bread
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. game — a match
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. game — wild animals
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. press — a publisher
  17. season — in sport
  18. press — to push
  19. kick — in football
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fork — in a road

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