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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pop — soda
  4. lie — to recline
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. file — a document
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stock — shares
  11. press — to push
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. file — a tool
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kid — child
  20. press — newspapers
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pop — music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bowl — a dish

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