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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stock — goods
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rock — music
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. band — a ring
  16. content — the amount
  17. firm — a company
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rock — a stone
  20. band — a music group
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. content — happy
  23. firm — decided
  24. stock — shares

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