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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 116 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: drill · straw · stand · squash · dip · kick · stock · board

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stock — shares
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. drill — the tool
  7. squash — to crush
  8. board — to get on
  9. stock — goods
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. drill — a practice
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. board — a committee
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. dip — to sink
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stand — to bear
  19. drill — army training
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. board — a flat piece

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