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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. file — a tool
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. press — to push
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. file — a document
  16. rest — a break
  17. file — a line of people
  18. object — to protest
  19. press — a publisher
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. object — a thing
  23. pitch — completely
  24. object — an aim

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