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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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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 · rush · bay · fork · bat · fall · press · kid

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fall — the season
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stock — goods
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. press — to push
  22. kid — child
  23. bat — the animal
  24. stock — shares

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