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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. press — to push
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. file — a document
  7. press — a publisher
  8. root — of a word
  9. staff — employees
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. press — newspapers
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. file — a tool
  23. bat — the animal
  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