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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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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 · cue · press · bass · trunk · stock · bat · pass

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. stock — goods
  2. cue — a signal
  3. board — to get on
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. press — to push
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. press — a publisher
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bass — low music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cue — a hint
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. stock — shares
  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