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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stock — shares
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. swing — in golf
  8. press — newspapers
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mug — a face
  13. swing — music
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lean — thin
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mug — to rob
  21. swing — to play on
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stock — goods

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