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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pit — in a race
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. band — a ring
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. band — a music group
  15. stock — goods
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ground — the earth
  18. press — to push
  19. pit — a hole
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bulb — for light
  22. deal — to handle
  23. press — newspapers
  24. ground — a position

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