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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 124 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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. present — the time now
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. present — a gift
  6. land — to come down
  7. present — there
  8. stock — goods
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. press — a publisher
  12. band — a music group
  13. net — after costs
  14. stock — shares
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. land — a country
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. band — a ring
  24. fan — a supporter

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