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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · season · press · sharp · present · cue · can · stock

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. present — there
  3. cue — a signal
  4. can — a tin
  5. track — a path
  6. season — in sport
  7. stock — goods
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stock — shares
  10. sharp — clever
  11. present — the time now
  12. track — a song
  13. press — to push
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cue — for pool
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cue — a hint
  19. present — a gift
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. track — to keep track
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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