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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. capital — money
  4. press — to push
  5. mug — a cup
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. root — the cause
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. craft — a skill
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. root — of a word
  16. capital — a city
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. stock — shares
  23. craft — boats
  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