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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. game — wild animals
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. game — a match
  11. craft — boats
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. press — newspapers
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. shower — rain
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. press — to push
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stock — goods
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. shower — to wash
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. craft — a handicraft

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