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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. press — to push
  3. stock — goods
  4. hand — help
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pop — soda
  7. game — a match
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pop — music
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pop — to visit
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stock — shares
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mark — a grade
  24. press — a publisher

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