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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: press · pound · stock · file · board · present · hide · roll

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. press — to push
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — a list
  7. file — a line of people
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. press — newspapers
  10. present — there
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pound — a weight
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stock — shares
  15. press — a publisher
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. board — a committee
  18. file — a tool
  19. board — to get on
  20. file — a document
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stock — goods
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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