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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. press — newspapers
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ball — a great time
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lean — thin
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. press — to push
  9. deal — to handle
  10. press — a publisher
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. branch — a division
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stock — shares
  19. ball — a dance
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. scale — in music

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