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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. firm — a company
  4. press — to push
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. firm — steady
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stock — shares
  15. press — newspapers
  16. game — a match
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wake — a trail
  19. firm — decided
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stock — goods
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fan — a supporter

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