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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. stock — goods
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stock — shares
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rock — music
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cap — a hat
  11. last — to go on
  12. cue — a signal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rock — a stone
  17. last — final
  18. cap — a lid
  19. last — finally
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rock — to move gently

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