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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 · press · lash · can · roll · deal · ball · present

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. present — a gift
  3. can — a tin
  4. deal — to handle
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. roll — a list
  11. stock — goods
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. press — a publisher
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. ball — a great time
  19. press — to push
  20. stock — shares
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ball — a round shape
  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