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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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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: wound · stock · pitch · perch · squash · snap · firm · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stock — goods
  8. wound — an injury
  9. firm — decided
  10. pitch — completely
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. snap — to click
  15. firm — a company
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stock — shares
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — steady
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. perch — for a bird

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