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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: stock · pass · chair · tube · dip · game · snap · press

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. chair — a leader
  3. press — newspapers
  4. dip — to sink
  5. game — a match
  6. press — to push
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stock — shares
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. tube — the underground
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. snap — to click
  18. pass — a permit
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. tube — a container
  22. press — a publisher
  23. game — wild animals
  24. dip — to dunk

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