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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. press — to push
  4. season — in sport
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. current — of water
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rash — hasty
  17. season — of the year
  18. current — electric
  19. rash — a series
  20. current — happening now
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. branch — a division
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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