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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. ball — a great time
  3. press — to push
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. stock — goods
  8. press — newspapers
  9. march — the month
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pit — in a race
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stock — shares
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. march — the month
  17. firm — a company
  18. press — a publisher
  19. field — for sport
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. march — music

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