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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. track — to keep track
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. can — a tin
  9. press — a publisher
  10. swing — in golf
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. pitch — completely
  17. object — to protest
  18. swing — music
  19. track — a song
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. track — a path
  23. can — to be able to
  24. swing — to play on

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