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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mug — a face
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. pop — to visit
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. mug — to rob
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pop — soda
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mug — a cup
  18. press — to push
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. staff — a stick
  21. ground — a position
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. nail — for a hammer

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