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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: tear · press · mark · straw · firm · board · stock · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. firm — steady
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stock — goods
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. press — to push
  8. mark — a trace
  9. tear — from crying
  10. press — newspapers
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. tear — to rip
  14. firm — decided
  15. board — to get on
  16. press — a publisher
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stock — shares
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mark — a grade
  23. firm — a company
  24. board — a committee

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