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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. press — to push
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. stock — goods
  6. board — a committee
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. tear — from crying
  13. swing — music
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. file — a tool
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. press — a publisher
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. swing — to play on

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