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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: chip · stem · pitcher · stock · trunk · mouse · press · ruler

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. press — to push
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stock — shares
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mouse — the animal

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