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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. last — to go on
  3. press — a publisher
  4. march — music
  5. press — to push
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stock — goods
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stock — shares
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. bass — low music
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. march — the month
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. leaves — lets stay

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