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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bank — for money
  3. rule — a law
  4. cue — a signal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. march — the month
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stock — shares
  11. staff — employees
  12. date — the fruit
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rule — government
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. stock — goods

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