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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · straw · rule · stock · pit · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. press — a publisher
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rule — government
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rule — a law
  15. stock — shares
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bear — the animal

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