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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. stock — shares
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pass — a permit
  6. drill — army training
  7. last — to go on
  8. drill — a practice
  9. press — to push
  10. stock — goods
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. foot — a measure
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. last — finally
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. press — a publisher
  18. last — final
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. drill — the tool

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