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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — the fish
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bore — to drill
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stock — goods
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cell — in biology

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