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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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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: squash · bulb · wake · stock · fork · pound · swing · chair

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. swing — music
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pound — a weight
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. squash — to crush
  17. swing — to play on
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stock — goods
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fork — to eat with

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