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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: degree · stock · chip · charge · press · ruler · key · deal

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. press — to push
  3. degree — an amount
  4. stock — shares
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. degree — temperature
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. press — newspapers
  10. charge — electricity
  11. chip — for betting
  12. charge — a price
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. key — in music
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. charge — in control
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. chip — to eat
  23. press — a publisher
  24. degree — from a university

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