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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. degree — an amount
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stock — goods
  6. degree — from a university
  7. press — a publisher
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. degree — temperature
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. content — happy
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. content — the amount
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. press — to push
  18. bound — obliged
  19. present — there
  20. bound — certain
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bound — tied together
  23. present — a gift
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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