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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: wound · pop · press · stick · straw · ground · stock · scale

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pop — soda
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wound — an injury
  9. press — a publisher
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. scale — in music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. ground — crushed
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. press — to push
  21. ground — a position
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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