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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. last — finally
  3. squash — the sport
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bark — to shout
  8. deal — to handle
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stock — shares
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. last — to go on
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. last — final
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stock — goods
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. stand — on your feet

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