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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stem — to come from
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rash — a series
  20. roll — a cake
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stand — to bear
  23. roll — a list
  24. cue — a signal

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