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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. track — a song
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. track — a path
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stock — goods
  10. track — to keep track
  11. wound — an injury
  12. band — a ring
  13. can — a tin
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. land — ground
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — shares
  19. wound — an injury
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. band — a music group
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stock — a soup base

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