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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 · spell · rush · ruler · squash · pitcher · deal · current

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. current — of water
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stock — shares
  6. current — happening now
  7. spell — letters
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stock — goods
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. squash — to crush
  16. current — electric
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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