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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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Word bank
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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: mug · saw · bowl · hand · stock · spell · press · season

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. hand — help
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. spell — letters
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mug — to rob
  10. press — to push
  11. hand — in cards
  12. season — in sport
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stock — goods
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. season — of the year
  20. spell — magic
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mug — a face
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stock — shares

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