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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. present — a gift
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stock — shares
  6. cue — for pool
  7. present — the time now
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spring — of water
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stock — goods
  15. branch — a division
  16. present — there
  17. spell — magic
  18. spring — the season
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. press — to push
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cue — a signal

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