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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rule — government
  4. mug — a cup
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pound — a weight
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. press — to push
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. season — of the year
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. season — in sport
  20. rule — a law
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stock — shares
  23. branch — a division
  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