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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: board · chair · current · ground · stock · press · track · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ground — crushed
  3. track — a song
  4. current — of water
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bass — the fish
  7. board — a committee
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ground — a position
  10. press — a publisher
  11. board — to get on
  12. stock — goods
  13. chair — a leader
  14. press — newspapers
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. track — a path
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. current — happening now
  20. stock — shares
  21. ground — the earth
  22. current — electric
  23. press — to push
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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