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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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. cue — a signal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stock — shares
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fall — the season
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rash — a series
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. stock — goods
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stock — a soup base

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