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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. swing — to play on
  8. spring — of water
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. object — a thing
  11. press — to push
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. object — to protest
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spring — the season
  18. bulb — for light
  19. object — an aim
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. press — newspapers

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