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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 · rest · rule · fine · mark · current · stock · pitcher

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. current — of water
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stock — goods
  5. fine — all right
  6. rest — a break
  7. current — happening now
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stock — shares
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. current — electric
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rule — government
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rule — a law
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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