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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 116 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. stock — goods
  3. vault — a safe
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stock — shares
  12. press — a publisher
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. bulb — for light
  17. board — a committee
  18. bat — the animal
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. board — to get on

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