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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: rock · firm · press · squash · ruler · pop · cap · mug

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cap — a lid
  4. firm — steady
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mug — to rob
  9. firm — a company
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. press — to push
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pop — music
  16. press — newspapers
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pop — soda
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mug — a face

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