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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: game · ground · chair · can · press · stem · pitcher · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ground — a position
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. chair — a leader
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. press — a publisher
  8. can — a tin
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. press — to push
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. can — to be able to
  20. press — newspapers
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. game — a match
  24. stem — to come from

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