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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.

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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: ruler · tube · press · craft · foot · stick

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. press — newspapers
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. press — to push
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. press — a publisher
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. craft — boats
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tube — the underground

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