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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. object — to protest
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. season — of the year
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mark — a trace
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. net — after costs
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bore — to tire
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pop — soda
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. pop — music
  19. season — in sport
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stock — shares
  24. press — to push

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