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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: stock · prune · straw · scale · hide · ball · press · can

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. press — newspapers
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. press — a publisher
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. scale — in music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. scale — size or range
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stock — shares
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stock — goods
  21. ball — a great time
  22. press — to push
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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