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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bank — for money
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cue — for pool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fork — in a road
  15. lean — thin
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stock — shares
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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