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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: content · stock · board · press · stick · saw · cue · cap

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. content — the amount
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cue — for pool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stock — goods
  13. press — newspapers
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. content — happy
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. press — to push
  22. cap — of ice
  23. stock — shares
  24. content — videos and posts

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