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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cue — for pool
  4. roll — a list
  5. saw — the tool
  6. capital — a city
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. capital — money
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stock — shares
  14. roll — a cake
  15. stock — goods
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rash — a series
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stock — a soup base

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