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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · march · press · arm · stock · vault · cue · file

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. press — to push
  4. cue — a signal
  5. march — music
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stock — goods
  12. board — a committee
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cue — for pool
  16. march — the month
  17. file — a document
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cue — a hint
  20. march — the month
  21. board — to get on
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. press — newspapers

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