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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. stand — to bear
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wound — an injury
  8. row — a line
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. board — to get on
  11. stock — shares
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wound — an injury
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stock — goods
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. board — a committee
  18. press — to push
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. board — a flat piece

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