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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. band — a ring
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. suit — to fit
  8. band — a music group
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. court — for sport
  11. firm — a company
  12. suit — clothes
  13. court — of law
  14. squash — the sport
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stock — goods
  17. suit — in cards
  18. court — of a king
  19. firm — decided
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. firm — steady
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stock — shares

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