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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
468
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: chest · safe · press · bass · board · stock · wax · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stock — shares
  11. chest — a box
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. board — a committee
  14. press — to push
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. press — a publisher
  21. chest — of your body
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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