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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: board · press · wound · pass · stock · track · sharp · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stock — shares
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. wound — an injury
  7. track — a song
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stock — goods
  12. track — a path
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. press — newspapers
  17. sharp — clever
  18. press — a publisher
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. root — the cause
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. press — to push

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