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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · press · fork · stock · rash · hand · kid · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. hand — help
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rash — a series
  9. kid — child
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rash — hasty
  13. press — to push
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. stock — goods
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stock — shares
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fork — in a road
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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