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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lean — thin
  4. club — for golf
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. press — to push
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. press — newspapers
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. dip — to sink
  12. lean — to bend
  13. club — a group
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stock — goods
  17. date — the fruit
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. net — for catching
  20. club — for dancing
  21. net — in sport
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. net — after costs
  24. stock — shares

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