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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: march · season · stick · rock · fall · squash · mouse · kid

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. season — in sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rock — a stone
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. march — the month
  19. fall — the season
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. squash — the sport
  23. kid — child
  24. season — of the year

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