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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stock — goods
  4. kid — to tease
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. game — wild animals
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. game — a match
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. current — electric
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. current — of water
  20. stock — shares
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. current — happening now
  23. kid — child
  24. press — to push

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