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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: board · press · chip · scale · degree · stock · toast · pitch

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. scale — size or range
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. chip — for betting
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. degree — temperature
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. press — a publisher
  14. chip — to eat
  15. toast — bread
  16. pitch — completely
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. scale — in music
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. press — newspapers

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