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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. 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. root — of a word
  2. stock — shares
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stock — goods
  8. root — of a plant
  9. press — a publisher
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cap — a lid
  14. root — the cause
  15. rule — government
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. 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