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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: press · ground · racket · clip · ruler · stem · suit · pound

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. clip — a video
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. press — a publisher
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. press — to push
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ground — a position
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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