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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cue · scale · bowl · staff · stick · stock · wax

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. staff — employees
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stock — goods
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. staff — employees
  9. cue — a hint
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. staff — a stick
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. scale — in music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. stock — shares

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