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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: squash · wound · pit · stock · rush · season · scale · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. season — in sport
  3. stock — shares
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stock — goods
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. foot — a measure
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rush — hurry
  14. scale — in music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. scale — size or range
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pit — in a race
  22. season — of the year
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. squash — the sport

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