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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: snap · cabinet · firm · object · foot · squash · stock · row

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. firm — a company
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. object — a thing
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. firm — decided
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. object — an aim
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. snap — to click
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. object — to protest
  22. firm — steady
  23. row — a line
  24. squash — to crush

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