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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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Word bank
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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: foot · stock · firm · suit · race · squash · sharp · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. foot — a measure
  3. race — humankind
  4. squash — the sport
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. race — a contest
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. squash — to crush
  11. firm — decided
  12. stock — goods
  13. race — the arms race
  14. sharp — clever
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. firm — a company
  23. stock — shares
  24. firm — steady

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