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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: roll · rule · squash · pit · firm · stock · saw · spell

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rule — a law
  4. roll — a list
  5. firm — a company
  6. spell — magic
  7. firm — steady
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. firm — decided
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rule — government
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. spell — letters
  17. stock — goods
  18. roll — a cake
  19. spell — a short time
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stock — shares
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. squash — the sport

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