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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. net — after costs
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. press — a publisher
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. press — to push
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stock — goods
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stock — shares
  22. prune — to trim
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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