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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. row — to paddle
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. row — a line
  8. club — for golf
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. club — for dancing
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. club — a group
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. season — of the year
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stand — to bear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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