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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 124 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 on a ________________ here.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a list
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stock — shares
  6. press — to push
  7. mate — a partner
  8. tube — the underground
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stock — goods
  11. roll — a cake
  12. tube — a container
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mate — a friend
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. press — a publisher

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