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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · lash · coach · deal · degree · stock · rock · squash

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. degree — temperature
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rock — music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. degree — from a university
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. squash — to crush
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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