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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. staff — employees
  5. press — newspapers
  6. season — of the year
  7. lean — thin
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. season — in sport
  10. staff — a stick
  11. press — a publisher
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. degree — temperature
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stock — shares
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. staff — employees
  18. game — a match
  19. press — to push
  20. degree — an amount
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stock — goods
  24. degree — from a university

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