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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: file · stock · board · net · nail · cue · press · temple

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. file — a line of people
  5. press — to push
  6. board — a committee
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. file — a tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. press — newspapers
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. net — after costs
  14. cue — for pool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. net — for catching
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cue — a signal
  20. net — in sport
  21. file — a document
  22. board — to get on
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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