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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 116 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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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: row · stock · deal · squash · bound · mark · bear · pitch

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pitch — completely
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bound — obliged
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bear — the animal
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. squash — the sport
  14. row — a line
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mark — a grade
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bear — the animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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