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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. stock — shares
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. present — a gift
  6. club — a group
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. present — there
  11. stock — goods
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pit — a hole
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. present — the time now
  21. land — a country
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stock — a soup base

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