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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bank — of a river
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pitch — completely
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. bank — for money
  10. rush — hurry
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bank — for money
  20. press — to push
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — not warm
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pitch — a sports field

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