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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stock — shares
  5. bark — to shout
  6. press — to push
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stock — goods
  9. drill — a practice
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. can — to be able to
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. press — a publisher
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — army training

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