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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. press — to push
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. degree — an amount
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. club — for dancing
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stock — shares
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. degree — from a university
  18. club — a group
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. club — for golf
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. press — newspapers
  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