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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: stand · degree · bass · stick · press · stock · jam · kid

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. degree — an amount
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stock — goods
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. kid — child
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stock — shares
  15. degree — temperature
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bass — low music
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. press — newspapers
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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