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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: roll · stock · staff · deal · cell · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. press — newspapers
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stock — goods
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cell — a phone
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stock — shares
  12. staff — employees
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — a list
  16. staff — employees
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. deal — to handle

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