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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. net — for catching
  3. press — to push
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stock — shares
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. net — in sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. net — after costs
  14. fall — to drop
  15. press — newspapers
  16. current — happening now
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mate — to breed
  19. current — electric
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. stock — goods
  23. current — of water
  24. mug — a cup

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