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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mate — a friend
  4. press — a publisher
  5. kid — child
  6. mate — a partner
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. press — to push
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stock — shares
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stock — goods
  17. vault — a safe
  18. kid — to tease

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