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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: squash · stand · stock · pitcher · saw · fork · board · bear

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stock — goods
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. saw — the tool
  23. board — to get on
  24. bear — to put up with

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