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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: can · squash · stick · stock · bound · rash · cue · mark

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rash — a series
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stock — goods
  10. mark — a trace
  11. can — to be able to
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bound — certain
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cue — a signal
  23. can — a tin
  24. squash — to crush

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