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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. current — happening now
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. press — a publisher
  7. current — of water
  8. pop — to visit
  9. current — electric
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mark — a grade
  15. press — to push
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wound — an injury
  24. row — a line

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