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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · stock · bowl · cold · bank · squash

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bank — for money
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. stock — goods
  8. bank — of a river
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cold — an illness
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bank — for money
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cold — not warm
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stock — shares

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