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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. fall — the season
  3. squash — the sport
  4. spell — magic
  5. press — newspapers
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. squash — to crush
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stock — shares
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spell — letters
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fall — to drop
  15. press — to push
  16. hand — in cards
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hand — help
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stock — goods
  21. press — a publisher
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spell — a short time
  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