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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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. press — newspapers
  6. spring — the season
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. spring — of water
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stand — to bear
  11. craft — a skill
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. craft — boats
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stock — shares
  16. pop — music
  17. press — to push
  18. pop — soda
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stock — goods
  24. spring — a coil

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