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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: lash · squash · current · bass · stock · game · press · object

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. object — an aim
  3. press — newspapers
  4. game — a match
  5. current — of water
  6. bass — the fish
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. object — a thing
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. current — electric
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. current — happening now
  18. press — to push
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. press — a publisher
  22. object — to protest
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lash — an eyelash

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