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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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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: racket · bat · current · board · stock · roll · leaves · press

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. current — electric
  6. bat — the animal
  7. current — of water
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. stock — goods
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stock — shares
  12. roll — a cake
  13. board — to get on
  14. press — newspapers
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — happening now
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. press — a publisher
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. press — to push
  23. stock — a soup base
  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