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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: press · bound · perch · stock · mine · rule · spell · fork

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bound — tied together
  6. spell — magic
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. press — to push
  9. rule — government
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rule — a law
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stock — goods
  20. bound — certain
  21. spell — letters
  22. mine — for digging
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bound — obliged

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