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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stock — shares
  4. craft — a skill
  5. charge — a price
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. object — an aim
  9. present — the time now
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. stock — goods
  12. file — a line of people
  13. press — newspapers
  14. object — a thing
  15. file — a tool
  16. object — to protest
  17. present — a gift
  18. file — a document
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. charge — in control
  23. press — to push
  24. present — there

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