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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stock — goods
  3. march — the month
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. march — the month
  7. firm — steady
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. pitch — completely
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stock — shares
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. march — music
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. firm — decided
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wax — to grow
  22. row — a line
  23. firm — a company
  24. pitch — a sports field

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