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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: staff · stock · bank · cap · foot · straw · suit · press

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bank — for money
  4. foot — a measure
  5. suit — to fit
  6. staff — employees
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. press — newspapers
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. suit — clothes
  15. staff — employees
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. stock — shares
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. staff — a stick

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