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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. track — a song
  3. stock — goods
  4. mug — to rob
  5. clip — a video
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rule — government
  9. clip — to cut
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stock — shares
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rule — a law
  16. mug — a cup
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bulb — for light
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — a list
  23. track — a path
  24. press — to push

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