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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: squash · date · straw · rash · stock · chest · pound · fine

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. date — the fruit
  3. chest — a box
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stock — shares
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rash — a series
  11. fine — high quality
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pound — a weight
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. stock — goods
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rash — on the skin

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