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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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468
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: game · can · tube · press · craft · temple · bat · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. press — a publisher
  3. can — a tin
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. game — a match
  7. press — newspapers
  8. craft — boats
  9. can — to be able to
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bat — the animal
  12. game — wild animals
  13. press — to push
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — a container
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. can — a tin

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