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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. mate — a friend
  3. can — a tin
  4. stock — shares
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. press — to push
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stock — goods
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ball — a great time
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rush — hurry
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. can — a tin
  23. game — a match
  24. rush — a thrill

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