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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. march — the month
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stock — shares
  21. march — music
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stock — goods
  24. kid — child

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