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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: suit · stock · key · squash · fine · hand · pitcher · date

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. key — in music
  3. squash — the sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stock — shares
  10. hand — in cards
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fine — high quality
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hand — help
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. key — for a lock
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — clothes
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. hand — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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