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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: fall · bear · stock · club · staff · press

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. press — a publisher
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fall — the season
  8. club — for golf
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stock — goods
  11. press — to push
  12. club — for dancing
  13. staff — employees
  14. stock — shares
  15. club — a group
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fall — to drop

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