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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cue — for pool
  3. land — ground
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. face — to confront
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. land — to come down
  15. fine — all right
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. land — a country
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. drill — a practice
  23. face — to point toward
  24. cue — a signal

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