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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 120 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: last · tube · race · stock · press · stand · squash · racket

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. last — final
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — the sport
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. stock — shares
  12. race — humankind
  13. press — a publisher
  14. squash — to crush
  15. tube — a container
  16. race — the arms race
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. stock — goods
  20. race — a contest
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stand — to bear
  24. racket — a loud noise

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