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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 116 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: craft · squash · stock · chair · bank · wake · saw · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. swing — music
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stock — shares
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bank — for money
  11. craft — boats
  12. wake — a trail
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. craft — a skill
  19. swing — to play on
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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