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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. can — a tin
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rash — a series
  4. stock — shares
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stock — goods
  7. wind — moving air
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. press — to push
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mark — a grade
  16. can — a tin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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