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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · stock · mate · degree · leaves · saw · tube · kid

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mate — a friend
  3. press — newspapers
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mate — a partner
  12. press — a publisher
  13. kid — child
  14. degree — an amount
  15. press — to push
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stock — shares
  18. tube — a container
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mate — to breed
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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