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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: bear · squash · press · bore · cue · firm · stock · stick

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stock — goods
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. firm — a company
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. press — a publisher
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stock — shares
  21. firm — decided
  22. press — to push
  23. squash — to crush
  24. firm — steady

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