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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: mug · roll · mine · press · saw · prune · cabinet · stock

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stock — shares
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stock — goods
  8. mug — a face
  9. saw — the tool
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. roll — a list
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. saw — the tool
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. prune — to trim

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