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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: pass · stock · pop · toast · branch · press · fork · race

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. stock — shares
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stock — goods
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pop — music
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. branch — a division
  11. race — the arms race
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. toast — bread
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pass — a permit

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