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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
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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: mug · stand · straw · craft · net · squash · deal · press

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. net — for catching
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mug — a cup
  6. press — to push
  7. squash — the sport
  8. craft — a skill
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. press — newspapers
  16. net — in sport
  17. stand — to bear
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. craft — boats
  23. net — after costs
  24. deal — an agreement

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