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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rock — a stone
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. snap — to click
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. firm — steady
  8. band — a music group
  9. hand — in cards
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. pit — in a race
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. firm — a company
  17. hand — help
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rock — music
  21. press — newspapers
  22. firm — decided
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stock — goods

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