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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 120 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. board — to get on
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stock — goods
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. press — to push
  11. stock — shares
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pass — a permit
  23. file — a line of people
  24. board — a committee

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