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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stock — goods
  3. race — humankind
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — to breed
  7. race — the arms race
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — the sport
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. race — a contest
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stock — shares
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mug — a face
  24. mate — a friend

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