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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stock — shares
  4. spell — magic
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. row — a line
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rule — a law
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. press — to push
  16. rule — government
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — goods
  19. cold — not warm
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bank — for money

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