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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: mug · wake · stock · press · pitch · straw · cap · ruler

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mug — to rob
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mug — a face
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cap — of ice
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stock — goods
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pitch — completely
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stock — shares
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. press — to push
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mug — a cup
  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