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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: drill · mate · racket · deal · stock · bear · press · lash

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stock — shares
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stock — goods
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. drill — a practice
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mate — a friend
  17. drill — army training
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. press — to push
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. drill — the tool

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