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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. net — for catching
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. firm — a company
  8. stock — shares
  9. press — to push
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bat — the animal
  14. stock — goods
  15. firm — decided
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. net — after costs
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. net — in sport
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. firm — steady

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