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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rule — a law
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stock — shares
  7. press — newspapers
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pitch — completely
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. stock — goods
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. press — to push
  23. net — after costs
  24. bound — certain

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