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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 · spell · pitcher · drill · chair · stock · safe · wake

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. drill — army training
  3. spell — letters
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. drill — the tool
  8. spell — magic
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — shares
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. squash — to crush
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. squash — the sport
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stock — goods
  22. wake — a trail
  23. chair — a leader
  24. drill — a practice

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