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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 116 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: rock · staff · press · branch · bat · vault · coach · stock

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. press — to push
  5. stock — shares
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — goods
  8. press — newspapers
  9. branch — a division
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. staff — employees
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. staff — a stick
  21. vault — a safe
  22. staff — employees
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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