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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: stock · mouse · last · pop · pitch · bay · hand · squash

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. last — final
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stock — shares
  9. pop — music
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pop — soda
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. last — to go on
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. hand — in cards
  19. last — finally
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hand — help
  22. pop — to visit
  23. hand — part of the body
  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