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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stock — shares
  5. bass — the fish
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stock — goods
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bass — low music
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stem — to come from
  24. craft — boats

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