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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. spring — a coil
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. object — an aim
  9. row — a line
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. chair — a leader
  14. spring — of water
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. press — a publisher
  17. object — to protest
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bore — to tire
  20. spring — the season
  21. stock — shares
  22. bore — to drill
  23. object — a thing
  24. stock — goods

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