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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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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: pit · spell · mug · rule · press · wake · stock · trunk

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pit — a hole
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rule — a law
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. spell — magic
  9. mug — to rob
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stock — shares
  14. rule — government
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stock — goods
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. spell — letters
  22. press — to push
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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