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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. press — a publisher
  5. deal — to handle
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. press — to push
  18. bat — the animal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. branch — a division

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