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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. capital — money
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. press — to push
  8. chip — for betting
  9. capital — a city
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — a publisher
  12. net — after costs
  13. stock — shares
  14. net — in sport
  15. bore — to tire
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. net — for catching
  24. capital — a big letter

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