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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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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: press · bear · board · stock · fall · club · bore · chair

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bear — the animal
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. club — for dancing
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. board — a committee
  13. press — to push
  14. stock — shares
  15. fall — the season
  16. board — to get on
  17. stock — goods
  18. press — newspapers
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bear — the animal
  23. club — for golf
  24. bore — to drill

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