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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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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: deal · press · mate · fine · rule · cap · pound · stock

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rule — a law
  5. fine — high quality
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mate — to breed
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rule — government
  11. press — to push
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cap — a lid
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pound — a weight
  17. press — a publisher
  18. stock — goods
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stock — shares
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. fine — all right
  24. pound — for dogs

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