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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: stick · drill · squash · bark · straw · mouse · stock · toast

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. drill — army training
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bark — to shout
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. toast — bread
  15. squash — to crush
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stock — shares
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stock — goods
  24. mouse — the animal

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