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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.

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: lie · ground · club · wind · press · suit · board · stock

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stock — goods
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. ground — the earth
  5. board — to get on
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. board — a committee
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stock — shares
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. press — newspapers
  17. ground — a position
  18. press — to push
  19. club — for dancing
  20. suit — in cards
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. suit — clothes

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