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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: bat · racket · bear · stock · lean · bay · squash · staff

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bear — the animal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. squash — to crush
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. staff — employees
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. staff — employees
  18. lean — thin
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bat — the animal
  24. stock — goods

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