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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · pitcher · stock · ruler · leaves · game · plane · mine

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stock — shares
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stock — goods
  24. plane — a tool

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