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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: wake · bulb · stock · patient · board · squash · cell · press

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — shares
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stock — goods
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. press — newspapers
  9. board — to get on
  10. wake — a trail
  11. press — to push
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. squash — to crush
  16. press — a publisher
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bulb — for light
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. squash — the sport
  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