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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. stock — goods
  4. present — the time now
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. row — to paddle
  7. firm — steady
  8. tear — from crying
  9. present — there
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chip — to eat
  12. present — a gift
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stock — shares
  15. tear — to rip
  16. firm — a company
  17. cue — for pool
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cue — a hint
  20. firm — decided
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. tear — from crying

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