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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stock — goods
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stock — shares
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wound — an injury
  13. press — newspapers
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. staff — employees
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. chip — for betting
  20. press — to push
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. staff — employees
  24. wound — an injury

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