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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stock — goods
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. press — to push
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. scale — in music
  17. rest — a break
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bear — the animal
  21. snap — to click
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stock — shares
  24. rest — what's left

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