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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
468
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: bay · stock · temple · band · squash · land · swing · last

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stock — goods
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. swing — in golf
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. squash — the sport
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. swing — music
  11. last — finally
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. squash — to crush
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. stock — shares
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. band — a ring
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. land — ground

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