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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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Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. stock — shares
  3. chest — a box
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chest — of your body
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. charge — a price
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. press — newspapers
  12. charge — in control
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stock — goods
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. plane — a tool
  22. squash — to crush
  23. chest — of your body
  24. press — a publisher

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