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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cue — a hint
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. press — to push
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stock — shares
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. cue — a signal
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stock — goods

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