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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 124 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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. press — to push
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. press — newspapers
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. row — a line
  19. bear — the animal
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. stock — goods
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stock — shares

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