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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 116 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: saw · firm · root · bowl · press · court · stock · bay

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. stock — goods
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. firm — a company
  6. court — for sport
  7. firm — steady
  8. stock — shares
  9. root — the cause
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. root — of a plant
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. court — of law
  16. firm — decided
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. court — of a king
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. root — of a word

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