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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 120 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. field — farmland
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. squash — the sport
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. club — for golf
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. club — a group
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. field — a subject
  15. stock — shares
  16. field — for sport
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stock — goods

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