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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. present — there
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. suit — in cards
  5. saw — the tool
  6. present — a gift
  7. season — in sport
  8. stock — goods
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. press — to push
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. season — of the year
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. suit — clothes
  18. present — the time now
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. suit — to fit
  23. root — of a word
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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