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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. press — to push
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stock — shares
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bass — low music
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bass — the fish
  18. staff — employees
  19. stock — goods
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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