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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. stock — goods
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. staff — employees
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. press — newspapers
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stock — shares
  14. staff — employees
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pop — soda
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. branch — a division
  20. cold — not warm
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. press — to push
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — the Cold War

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