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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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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: cap · squash · drill · stock · mouse · bank · chair · racket

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stock — shares
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cap — of ice
  11. squash — the sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. drill — army training
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bank — for money
  18. cap — a lid
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stock — goods
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bank — for money
  24. squash — the vegetable

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