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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: leaves · stock · squash · firm · degree · rash · spell · cap

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. spell — magic
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stock — shares
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. firm — a company
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. degree — an amount
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stock — goods
  18. spell — letters
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rash — hasty
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — from a university

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