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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stock — shares
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fine — all right
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. snap — to click
  12. press — a publisher
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fine — high quality
  15. swing — music
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. press — newspapers
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. press — to push
  21. court — for sport
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stock — goods

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