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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. capital — money
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. capital — a city
  5. stock — goods
  6. rock — a stone
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rock — music
  11. stock — shares
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. press — to push
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. press — newspapers
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — a practice

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