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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: game · craft · press · date · toast · stock · wake · jam

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. game — wild animals
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wake — a trail
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. game — a match
  12. toast — bread
  13. date — the fruit
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. press — to push
  20. stock — shares
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stock — goods
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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