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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: toast · swing · bay · wound · cabinet · row · stock · roll

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. toast — bread
  7. stock — goods
  8. roll — a list
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. roll — a cake
  14. row — a line
  15. swing — in golf
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. row — to paddle
  18. swing — music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stock — shares
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. swing — to play on

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