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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. squash — to crush
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. press — to push
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ground — a position
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. press — a publisher
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stock — goods
  22. press — newspapers
  23. charge — in control
  24. branch — a division

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