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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bank — of a river
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. press — to push
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mug — to rob
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cold — an illness
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cold — not warm
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mug — a face
  23. stock — shares
  24. cabinet — ministers

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