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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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. drill — the tool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. press — newspapers
  6. face — to confront
  7. race — the arms race
  8. vault — a safe
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. press — to push
  13. drill — army training
  14. race — a contest
  15. drill — a practice
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. race — humankind
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. face — to point toward

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