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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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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. march — music
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fine — all right
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stock — shares
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fine — high quality
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. prune — to trim
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stock — goods
  23. lean — thin
  24. press — newspapers

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