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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fall — the season
  4. stock — shares
  5. band — a music group
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fall — to drop
  8. perch — the fish
  9. band — a ring
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mug — a face
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mug — a cup
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fall — to drop
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stock — goods

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