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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · cell · wound · coach · cue · board · temple · press

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stock — goods
  8. board — a committee
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wound — an injury
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wound — an injury
  19. board — to get on
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stock — shares
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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