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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bank — for money
  7. march — the month
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stock — shares
  11. bass — low music
  12. march — music
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fine — all right
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bank — for money
  17. cap — a lid
  18. press — to push
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stock — goods
  22. press — a publisher
  23. march — the month
  24. mate — a partner

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