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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. hand — help
  3. stock — shares
  4. squash — the sport
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. can — to be able to
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. swing — music
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — goods
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. can — a tin
  17. stand — to bear
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hand — in cards
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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