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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. press — to push
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stock — goods
  17. pound — a weight
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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