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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stock — shares
  3. cue — for pool
  4. shower — rain
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. last — to go on
  7. shower — to wash
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. last — final
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cue — a signal
  15. club — a group
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lean — thin
  18. last — finally
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stock — goods
  21. cue — a hint
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. club — for golf

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