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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stock — shares
  3. bass — low music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. root — of a word
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. suit — in cards
  11. press — to push
  12. root — of a plant
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wax — to grow
  19. root — the cause
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stock — goods
  24. press — newspapers

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