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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: press · object · file · stock · vault · straw

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stock — shares
  3. press — to push
  4. stock — goods
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. object — an aim
  7. file — a line of people
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. object — a thing
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. object — to protest
  14. file — a document
  15. vault — a safe
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. press — a publisher
  18. file — a tool

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