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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cap — a hat
  19. ground — the earth
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cap — a lid

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