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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stock — shares
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. track — a song
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. press — a publisher
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. press — to push
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. track — a path
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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