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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kick — in football
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stock — goods
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mug — a face
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. date — the fruit

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