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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 116 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. track — a path
  11. rash — a series
  12. last — final
  13. track — to keep track
  14. last — finally
  15. charge — a price
  16. track — a song
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rash — hasty
  19. charge — in control
  20. last — to go on
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. charge — electricity
  24. stock — shares

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