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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 116 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. snap — to click
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rock — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. drill — army training
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. squash — to crush
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stock — goods
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — a practice

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