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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. press — to push
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. spring — the season
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stock — shares
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pit — in a race
  14. capital — a city
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pit — a hole
  21. capital — money
  22. spring — of water
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. press — newspapers

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