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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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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: cap · ruler · club · stock · craft · chair · press · stick

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. press — to push
  5. stock — shares
  6. club — for golf
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. craft — boats
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. press — newspapers
  15. club — a group
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. craft — a skill
  23. club — for dancing
  24. ruler — for measuring

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