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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. staff — employees
  3. fine — all right
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. press — to push
  9. saw — the tool
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. land — ground
  14. staff — employees
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. land — to come down
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fine — high quality
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a dance
  21. saw — the tool
  22. land — a country
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ball — a great time

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