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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · kick · squash · date · chair · rush · root · dip

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. root — the cause
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rush — hurry
  11. kick — in football
  12. stock — goods
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. root — of a word
  20. dip — to sink
  21. root — of a plant
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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