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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
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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: pitcher · drill · craft · stock · race · squash · dip · stick

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stock — shares
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. squash — the sport
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. race — a contest
  17. stock — goods
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. race — humankind
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. race — the arms race

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