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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: rest · stock · root · scale · fan · bulb · lean · press

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. scale — size or range
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stock — shares
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. root — the cause
  14. stock — goods
  15. lean — thin
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. scale — in music
  18. press — to push
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — what's left
  22. root — of a word
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — of a plant

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