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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rush — hurry
  4. field — a subject
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. staff — employees
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. staff — employees
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. field — for sport
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. press — newspapers
  18. field — farmland
  19. staff — a stick
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. press — to push
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stock — a soup base

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