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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: fall · firm · pop · stock · key · squash · club · lean

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lean — to bend
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. firm — a company
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pop — soda
  10. firm — decided
  11. key — in music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stock — goods
  17. club — a group
  18. lean — thin
  19. stock — shares
  20. fall — to drop
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pop — music
  23. club — for golf
  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