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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: firm · ground · press · squash · hand · patient · stock · prune

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hand — help
  3. ground — the earth
  4. firm — a company
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. firm — steady
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stock — shares
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. stock — goods
  18. hand — in cards
  19. press — to push
  20. squash — to crush
  21. prune — to trim
  22. firm — decided
  23. squash — the sport
  24. prune — to trim

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