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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 116 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: stick · sharp · press · stock · dip · stem · march · squash

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. squash — the sport
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stock — goods
  10. stem — to come from
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stock — shares
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. sharp — clever

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