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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bank — for money
  4. mark — a grade
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. degree — from a university
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. degree — an amount
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. degree — temperature
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. sharp — clever
  24. perch — the fish

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