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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stock — goods
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. press — to push
  6. mate — to breed
  7. board — to get on
  8. court — of law
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stock — shares
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mate — a friend
  13. ball — a great time
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. board — a committee
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cell — in biology
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. tube — a container
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mate — a partner

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