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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stand — to bear
  3. spring — of water
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. object — an aim
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stock — goods
  10. press — to push
  11. object — to protest
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. spring — the season
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. spring — a coil
  18. press — a publisher
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. game — a match
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stock — shares
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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