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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stock — shares
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. toast — bread
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. roll — a cake
  19. hand — help
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. roll — a list
  23. hand — in cards
  24. press — to push

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