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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stock — shares
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stock — goods
  9. row — to paddle
  10. press — to push
  11. club — for golf
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. club — a group
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. mine — for digging
  19. row — a line
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. deal — to handle

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