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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bat — the animal
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. fine — all right
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cue — for pool
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — a list
  18. jam — to spread on bread

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