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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 · roll · stock · bat · rest · chip · mouse · snap

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bat — the animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stock — shares
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. chip — to eat
  10. squash — to crush
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stock — goods
  17. roll — a list
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. snap — to click
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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