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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stock — goods
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. firm — decided
  9. kid — to tease
  10. firm — steady
  11. press — to push
  12. field — for sport
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. field — farmland
  15. suit — to fit
  16. press — newspapers
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stock — shares
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. suit — in cards
  21. firm — a company
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. field — a subject
  24. wave — of the sea

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