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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
468
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 · tube · squash · land · stick · rock · lean · racket

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. rock — music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tube — a container
  4. rock — a stone
  5. press — newspapers
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. squash — to crush
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lean — thin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tube — the underground
  20. press — to push
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. land — ground
  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