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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.

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: stock · firm · squash · bowl · fork · wax · pitcher · club

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. firm — steady
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stock — goods
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. firm — a company
  11. club — a group
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stock — shares
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. firm — decided

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