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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. staff — employees
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stock — shares
  7. scale — in music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. race — humankind
  13. staff — employees
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stock — goods
  16. race — a contest
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. staff — a stick
  20. saw — the tool
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. race — the arms race
  24. press — a publisher

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