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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. press — a publisher
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. tube — the underground
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wind — moving air
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stock — shares
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wind — moving air
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. tube — a container
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. press — to push
  20. stand — to bear
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stock — goods

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