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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stock — goods
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. press — to push
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wind — moving air
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stock — shares
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. press — a publisher
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pitch — completely
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. stock — a soup base

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