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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stock — shares
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. game — a match
  5. object — a thing
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. object — to protest
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. game — wild animals
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. object — an aim
  14. content — the amount
  15. press — a publisher
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. stock — goods
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fine — all right
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. content — happy

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