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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: mug · chair · ball · tear · swing · stock · rush · squash

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mug — a cup
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. tear — to rip
  8. swing — in golf
  9. ball — a dance
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mug — a face
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ball — a great time
  15. swing — to play on
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stock — shares
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. swing — music
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. tear — from crying

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