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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: object · field · press · shower · saw · rock · stock · deal

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. object — an aim
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. object — to protest
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rock — a stone
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. field — for sport
  14. press — a publisher
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stock — goods
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. rock — music
  20. shower — rain
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. object — a thing
  24. shower — to wash

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