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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cap — a lid
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cue — a signal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. press — to push
  10. stock — shares
  11. cue — for pool
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. cap — a hat
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wind — moving air
  19. press — newspapers
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. field — for sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wind — to turn a key

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