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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. court — for sport
  3. current — of water
  4. can — to be able to
  5. press — a publisher
  6. track — a path
  7. current — happening now
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. court — of law
  12. can — a tin
  13. court — of a king
  14. stock — shares
  15. track — to keep track
  16. object — an aim
  17. current — electric
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. press — to push
  20. track — a song
  21. stock — goods
  22. object — to protest
  23. can — a tin
  24. press — newspapers

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