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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. shower — to wash
  3. press — newspapers
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. field — for sport
  6. shower — rain
  7. craft — boats
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. press — to push
  15. mine — for digging
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. press — a publisher
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stock — a soup base

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