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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: lash · key · deal · game · press · stock · foot · fall

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. game — a match
  5. key — in music
  6. press — to push
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. key — the most important part
  15. foot — a measure
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fall — to drop
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stock — goods
  21. fall — the season
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stock — shares
  24. foot — the bottom

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