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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. press — to push
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stock — shares
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. press — a publisher
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stock — goods
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fan — to cool the air

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