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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cue — a signal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wind — moving air
  6. craft — boats
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bound — certain
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mug — a face
  16. rash — a series
  17. stock — shares
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wind — moving air
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pit — a hole

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