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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stock — goods
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. capital — a city
  7. stock — shares
  8. plane — a tool
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. game — wild animals
  11. press — to push
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. hand — help
  16. game — a match
  17. hand — in cards
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. saw — the tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. press — a publisher

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