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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 120 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ball — a great time
  3. press — a publisher
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stock — shares
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. press — to push
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stock — goods
  24. deal — an agreement

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