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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: cold · object · leaves · stock · squash · bass · racket · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bass — low music
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. saw — the tool
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. squash — to crush
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bass — the fish
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stock — shares
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cold — not warm
  24. object — an aim

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