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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stock — goods
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stock — shares
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. board — a committee
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mark — a trace
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mark — a grade
  24. board — to get on

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