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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 116 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: press · stem · net · scale · spell · mark · cue · board

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. net — in sport
  6. stem — to come from
  7. scale — in music
  8. mark — a trace
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. scale — size or range
  13. press — to push
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. spell — letters
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cue — a hint
  19. board — a committee
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cue — a signal
  22. board — to get on
  23. cue — for pool
  24. spell — magic

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