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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: mouse · ruler · land · stick · pound · press · fine · tube

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. press — to push
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. tube — a container
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fine — all right
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. land — a country
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pound — a weight

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