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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 120 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: stock · coach · spell · deal · racket · squash · club · bass

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. squash — to crush
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spell — magic
  6. stock — shares
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bass — the fish
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. deal — to handle
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bass — low music
  13. spell — letters
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stock — goods
  20. club — for golf
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. club — a group

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