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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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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: wake · press · board · perch · stock · cue · toast · pound

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stock — shares
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. press — a publisher
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cue — for pool
  8. board — to get on
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. toast — bread
  15. board — a committee
  16. stock — goods
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. perch — the fish
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wake — a trail
  24. press — to push

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