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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 116 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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bound — certain
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. season — of the year
  11. bound — obliged
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chip — to eat
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. press — to push
  21. season — in sport
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bound — tied together
  24. press — newspapers

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