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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: stock · ball · ruler · last · press · deal · squash · scale

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. last — finally
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. press — a publisher
  11. last — final
  12. stock — shares
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stock — goods
  16. scale — size or range
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. last — to go on
  20. ball — a dance
  21. deal — to handle
  22. scale — in music
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. press — newspapers

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