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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fall — to drop
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bass — the fish
  7. press — to push
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fall — the season
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. track — a song
  14. craft — a skill
  15. press — a publisher
  16. track — a path
  17. stock — shares
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fall — to drop
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bass — low music
  24. stock — goods

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