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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. swing — to play on
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stock — shares
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stand — to bear
  13. swing — music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cue — for pool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cue — a hint
  18. swing — in golf
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stand — on your feet

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