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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. press — a publisher
  3. season — of the year
  4. march — the month
  5. cap — a lid
  6. season — in sport
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stock — goods
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cap — of ice
  12. press — newspapers
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. press — to push
  17. march — music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. cap — a hat
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. march — the month
  24. charge — in control

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