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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · squash · press · game · stock · craft · row · cabinet

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. squash — to crush
  3. row — to paddle
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stock — goods
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — boats
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. game — a match
  16. press — to push
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. row — a line
  23. squash — the sport
  24. snap — to click

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