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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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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: coach · stock · capital · press · bound · ruler

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. 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. stock — a soup base
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. capital — a city
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. press — a publisher
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bound — tied together
  10. capital — money
  11. bound — certain
  12. stock — goods
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stock — shares
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. 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