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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. stand — to bear
  13. kid — child
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. press — to push
  19. court — of law
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. nail — on a finger

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