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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stock — goods
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. press — to push
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stock — shares
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — ground
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mark — a grade

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