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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stock — shares
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. press — to push
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stock — goods
  16. prune — to trim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. press — a publisher
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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