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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cap — a hat
  3. race — humankind
  4. cap — a lid
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. press — newspapers
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. press — a publisher
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pitch — completely
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. press — to push
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stock — shares
  18. race — a contest
  19. cap — of ice
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — a division
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bowl — a dish

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