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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.

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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 · bat · cabinet · press · spell · mark · safe · board

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stock — shares
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mark — a trace
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spell — magic
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. board — a committee
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bat — the animal
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stock — goods

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