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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: stick · row · bowl · bound · stock · wax · sharp · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. row — a line
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bound — tied together
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bound — certain

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