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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: stock · pitcher · pass · arm · press · ground · fine · toast

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. press — a publisher
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. fine — high quality
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. ground — crushed
  18. toast — bread
  19. stock — goods
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fine — all right
  22. ground — a position
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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