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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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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: firm · bowl · stock · spell · mouse · bound · racket · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stock — shares
  4. bound — certain
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. firm — a company
  10. press — newspapers
  11. spell — letters
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. firm — steady
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bound — tied together
  18. firm — decided
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. press — to push
  21. stock — goods
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. racket — for tennis

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