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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. firm — decided
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fall — to drop
  5. land — a country
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. press — newspapers
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stock — shares
  10. land — to come down
  11. firm — a company
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. land — ground
  19. firm — steady
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stock — goods
  24. fall — to drop

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