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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: land · dip · roll · stock · mine · cap · press · stick

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cap — a hat
  5. press — to push
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — goods
  11. land — to come down
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cap — a lid
  14. land — ground
  15. dip — to sink
  16. land — a country
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. roll — a cake
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. press — newspapers
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mine — for digging
  24. roll — a list

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