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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lean — to bend
  4. foot — a measure
  5. race — humankind
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. firm — steady
  11. race — a contest
  12. stock — goods
  13. firm — decided
  14. ball — a great time
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stock — shares
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. press — newspapers
  20. firm — a company
  21. race — the arms race
  22. press — to push
  23. ball — a dance
  24. game — wild animals

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