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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. craft — boats
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. press — to push
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. craft — a skill
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rest — what's left
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — a break
  23. bear — the animal
  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