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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. press — newspapers
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rush — hurry
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rock — music
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. game — a match
  17. court — of law
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. game — wild animals
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rock — a stone
  22. press — to push
  23. stock — shares
  24. game — a kind of play

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