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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. stock — shares
  5. present — a gift
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stock — goods
  9. press — a publisher
  10. toast — bread
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bank — for money
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bank — of a river
  17. press — to push
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bank — for money
  21. chest — a box
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. land — ground
  24. present — the time now

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