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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: cap · pitcher · ruler · chip · stock · rush · stem · bowl

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stock — shares
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stock — goods
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. chip — for betting
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. chip — in a computer

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