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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 120 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: deal · stock · foot · stick · squash · rest · leaves · pit

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stock — shares
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stock — goods
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pit — in a race
  15. foot — a measure
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pit — a hole
  21. squash — to crush
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. deal — to handle

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