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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wound — an injury
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. press — newspapers
  10. object — to protest
  11. wound — an injury
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. press — to push
  14. object — an aim
  15. stock — shares
  16. date — the fruit
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. kick — in football
  20. object — a thing
  21. stock — goods
  22. press — a publisher
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. date — on the calendar

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