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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cue — for pool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stock — shares
  9. staff — employees
  10. rock — a stone
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. press — a publisher
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cold — not warm
  16. staff — employees
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stock — goods
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cue — a hint
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. press — to push
  24. rock — music

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