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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: ball · squash · wound · rock · root · pitch · stock · swing

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. swing — music
  4. rock — music
  5. stock — shares
  6. squash — to crush
  7. root — of a word
  8. rock — a stone
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wound — an injury
  12. root — of a plant
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wound — an injury
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stock — goods
  24. root — the cause

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