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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: swing · scale · safe · stock · rest · squash · bear · last

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bear — the animal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rest — what's left
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. scale — in music
  7. rest — a break
  8. bear — the animal
  9. last — to go on
  10. squash — the sport
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. last — final
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. last — finally
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stock — goods
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stock — shares

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