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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. swing — in golf
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fine — high quality
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. swing — to play on
  10. foot — a measure
  11. spring — a coil
  12. squash — to crush
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — shares
  17. spring — the season
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. swing — music
  23. spring — of water
  24. squash — the sport

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