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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: spell · bank · stem · game · ruler · staff · stock · press

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — letters
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. press — to push
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bank — for money
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stock — goods
  16. spell — magic
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. spell — a short time
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bank — for money
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. ruler — for measuring

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