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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. net — for catching
  3. present — a gift
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. firm — steady
  7. present — the time now
  8. swing — music
  9. present — there
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stock — goods
  13. press — a publisher
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. swing — to play on
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. row — to paddle
  22. net — in sport
  23. stock — shares
  24. net — after costs

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