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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. track — a song
  5. suit — clothes
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. suit — in cards
  9. track — to keep track
  10. can — a tin
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stock — goods
  14. track — a path
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. press — to push
  18. stock — shares
  19. foot — a measure
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. suit — to fit
  24. stock — a soup base

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