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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stock — goods
  4. cue — a hint
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. object — a thing
  7. root — the cause
  8. club — for golf
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bass — low music
  13. club — a group
  14. root — of a plant
  15. object — to protest
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cue — a signal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. root — of a word
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stock — shares
  23. bass — the fish
  24. object — an aim

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