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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: stock · swing · mug · squash · wave · jam · pitch · wound

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mug — a cup
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wound — an injury
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. squash — to crush
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stock — shares
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mug — a face
  16. squash — the sport
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. swing — music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. stock — goods
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pitch — completely

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