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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 116 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. file — a document
  3. face — to confront
  4. stock — goods
  5. press — newspapers
  6. object — a thing
  7. face — to point toward
  8. craft — a skill
  9. can — a tin
  10. file — a tool
  11. land — to come down
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. land — ground
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. land — a country
  16. can — to be able to
  17. file — a line of people
  18. object — to protest
  19. press — a publisher
  20. face — part of the head
  21. object — an aim
  22. can — a tin
  23. press — to push
  24. craft — boats

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