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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: mug · press · fork · capital · rock · bowl · squash · patient

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mug — a face
  7. capital — money
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rock — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rock — a stone
  18. capital — a city
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fork — in a road

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