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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: rule · coach · stock · toast · squash · arm · degree · present

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. stock — shares
  5. degree — an amount
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. degree — from a university
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rule — a law
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. degree — temperature
  12. present — the time now
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rule — government
  16. stock — goods
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. present — a gift
  20. toast — bread
  21. squash — the sport
  22. present — there
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. toast — the most admired

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