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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. clip — a video
  7. press — a publisher
  8. clip — to cut
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stock — shares
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mate — to breed
  16. clip — for paper
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. press — to push

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