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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. can — to be able to
  3. track — to keep track
  4. press — to push
  5. stock — shares
  6. cue — a signal
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. track — a path
  11. can — a tin
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cue — for pool
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cue — a hint
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. track — a song
  21. content — happy
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stock — goods
  24. cabinet — ministers

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