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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stock — goods
  4. court — for sport
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. suit — in cards
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stock — shares
  9. lean — to bend
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. court — of law
  13. press — to push
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. press — newspapers
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. court — of a king
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lean — thin
  24. suit — clothes

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