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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: leaves · rock · stick · wound · cap · firm · squash · club

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. firm — decided
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — of ice
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rock — a stone
  14. club — a group
  15. squash — the sport
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rock — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cap — a lid
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. club — for golf
  24. firm — steady

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