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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cue — a signal
  3. land — to come down
  4. pitch — completely
  5. stock — shares
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stock — goods
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mine — for digging
  12. object — to protest
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. land — ground
  17. bank — for money
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bank — of a river
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. land — a country

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