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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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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: press · bulb · stock · roll · saw · bank · cue · deal

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cue — a hint
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. deal — to handle
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stock — shares
  8. bank — for money
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stock — goods
  12. saw — the tool
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. cue — a signal
  19. press — to push
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bank — for money
  23. bulb — for light
  24. roll — a list

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