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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pit — in a race
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stock — shares
  9. spring — the season
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mate — a partner
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. spring — of water
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spring — a coil
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. game — wild animals
  21. press — to push
  22. mate — to breed
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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