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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stock — shares
  5. charge — a price
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. file — a tool
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. press — newspapers
  10. file — a document
  11. charge — in control
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stock — goods
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. charge — electricity
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. foot — a measure
  23. date — the fruit
  24. press — to push

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