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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stock — goods
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. last — final
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stock — shares
  10. swing — in golf
  11. last — finally
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. last — to go on
  17. swing — music
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. squash — to crush
  21. perch — the fish
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stock — a soup base

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