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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: fork · wake · saw · press · rule · can · club · cap

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. press — to push
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. club — a group
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. club — for golf
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cap — of ice
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wake — a trail
  16. can — a tin
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. saw — the tool
  20. club — for dancing
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. rule — a law

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