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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 120 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: content · suit · press · degree · last · drill · stand · stock

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. drill — a practice
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. degree — from a university
  5. content — happy
  6. stock — shares
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. press — newspapers
  9. degree — temperature
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stand — to bear
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. suit — clothes
  14. last — to go on
  15. suit — to fit
  16. drill — the tool
  17. press — to push
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. content — the amount
  20. drill — army training
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stock — goods

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