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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · rush · content · press · dip · field · cap · staff

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. staff — a stick
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. field — a subject
  5. stock — goods
  6. rush — hurry
  7. content — happy
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. press — to push
  13. field — for sport
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cap — a hat
  16. content — the amount
  17. press — a publisher
  18. stock — shares
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. field — farmland
  24. press — newspapers

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