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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. craft — a skill
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stock — goods
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stock — shares
  7. field — for sport
  8. row — to paddle
  9. suit — in cards
  10. field — farmland
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. field — a subject
  15. game — a match
  16. press — to push
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. suit — clothes
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. craft — boats
  24. row — a line

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