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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 · wound · cabinet · chip · squash · degree · lash · stand

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stock — shares
  6. degree — an amount
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. squash — the sport
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stock — goods
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cabinet — ministers

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