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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stock — goods
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rash — a series
  6. tube — the underground
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stock — shares
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wax — to grow
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rash — on the skin

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