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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stock — shares
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. last — final
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rash — a series
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. stock — goods
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fan — a supporter

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