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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stock — goods
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. club — a group
  5. kick — in football
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. club — for dancing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. scale — in music
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cue — for pool
  14. club — for golf
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stock — shares
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. scale — for weighing

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