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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. lean — thin
  3. press — newspapers
  4. current — electric
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. current — of water
  8. press — a publisher
  9. capital — money
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stock — goods
  12. game — wild animals
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stock — shares
  15. current — happening now
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. press — to push
  18. game — a match
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. capital — a city

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