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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mug — to rob
  4. track — a path
  5. stock — goods
  6. track — to keep track
  7. press — to push
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. track — a song
  10. sharp — clever
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mug — a face
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stock — shares
  21. content — happy
  22. press — a publisher
  23. content — the amount
  24. calf — a young animal

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