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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 · pass · content · stick · chair · press

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. press — to push
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — newspapers
  9. content — happy
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stock — shares
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. content — the amount
  17. stock — goods
  18. chair — to sit on

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