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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stock — shares
  4. squash — to crush
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. swing — music
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. saw — the tool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cell — a phone
  13. board — a committee
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. swing — in golf
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. squash — the sport
  21. board — to get on
  22. cell — in biology
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. swing — to play on

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