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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. pop — soda
  2. stock — goods
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pound — a weight
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rest — a break
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rule — a law
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pop — music
  21. press — to push
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stock — shares
  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