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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stock — goods
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rush — hurry
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bat — the animal
  15. press — to push
  16. stock — shares
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. deal — to handle
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. press — a publisher
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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