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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stock — goods
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stock — shares
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. press — a publisher
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bulb — for light
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ball — a dance
  13. degree — from a university
  14. wake — a trail
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. object — to protest
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. object — a thing

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