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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 116 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: season · press · fork · club · stick · content · tube · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. club — for dancing
  3. press — to push
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. tube — a container
  7. press — a publisher
  8. club — a group
  9. fork — in a road
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. tube — the underground
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — the amount
  15. season — of the year
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. season — in sport
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. content — happy
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. club — for golf
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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