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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. press — to push
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stock — shares
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. deal — to handle
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stock — goods
  15. board — to get on
  16. saw — the tool
  17. board — a committee
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. press — a publisher
  24. deal — an agreement

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