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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 120 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. press — newspapers
  3. last — finally
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. last — final
  7. bear — the animal
  8. press — to push
  9. last — to go on
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. game — a match
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stock — shares
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pass — a permit
  24. stock — goods

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