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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: drill · squash · stock · bay · fine · mark · object · bulb

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fine — high quality
  6. drill — army training
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mark — a trace
  9. squash — the sport
  10. object — a thing
  11. fine — all right
  12. object — to protest
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. drill — the tool
  15. object — an aim
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mark — a grade
  22. drill — a practice
  23. stock — goods
  24. bulb — for light

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