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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: land · jam · squash · staff · rock · stock · nail · pound

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stock — goods
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. staff — employees
  6. land — ground
  7. rock — a stone
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rock — music
  11. squash — the sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pound — a weight
  17. land — to come down
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stock — shares
  23. staff — employees
  24. land — a country

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