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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 116 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: press · bat · bulb · fork · rock · rush · racket · stock

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stock — goods
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stock — shares
  12. bat — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rush — hurry
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. press — to push
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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