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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
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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: mark · press · board · tube · field · stock · sharp · staff

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. stock — goods
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stock — shares
  6. board — a committee
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. press — a publisher
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. press — newspapers
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. staff — employees
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. press — to push
  18. staff — employees
  19. board — to get on
  20. field — farmland
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mark — a grade
  23. staff — a stick
  24. tube — a container

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