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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: rash · stock · firm · ruler · season · straw · cap · press

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. press — to push
  3. season — of the year
  4. rash — a series
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. cap — of ice
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. press — a publisher
  11. firm — decided
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. press — newspapers
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. firm — a company
  19. rash — hasty
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. firm — steady
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. season — in sport
  24. cap — a hat

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