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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: stock · staff · racket · bay · object · deal · squash · rash

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. staff — a stick
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. object — a thing
  5. stock — goods
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. object — to protest
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. deal — to handle
  18. squash — the sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. object — an aim
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rash — hasty
  23. staff — employees
  24. rash — a series

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