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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stock — shares
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. press — newspapers
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wake — a trail
  8. press — a publisher
  9. roll — a list
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. suit — clothes
  16. press — to push
  17. key — in music
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. suit — to fit

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