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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stock — shares
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. present — there
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. present — a gift
  9. press — to push
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — a stone
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stock — goods
  16. rock — music
  17. bank — for money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. bank — for money
  21. present — the time now
  22. capital — money
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. press — a publisher

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