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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: pound · stem · current · stock · rock · march · cold · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pound — a weight
  3. cold — an illness
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. rock — a stone
  11. press — newspapers
  12. current — electric
  13. rock — music
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. march — the month
  17. stock — goods
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stock — shares
  21. march — music
  22. press — to push
  23. march — the month
  24. rock — to move gently

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