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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 116 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: cap · key · wake · press · mine · stock · cell · stand

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. key — in music
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stock — shares
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cap — a lid
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cell — a phone
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mine — for digging
  22. press — to push
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stand — to bear

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