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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. prune — to trim
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stock — shares
  11. bear — the animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. press — newspapers
  14. march — music
  15. stock — goods
  16. bound — obliged
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. march — the month
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. prune — to trim
  22. press — to push
  23. march — the month
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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