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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: key · rock · fall · jam · press · stock · degree · racket

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stock — shares
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stock — goods
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. key — in music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. press — newspapers
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rock — music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rock — a stone
  21. degree — an amount
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. press — to push

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