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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 116 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pop — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spring — of water
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. drill — a practice
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pop — to visit
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pop — soda
  22. cue — for pool
  23. drill — army training
  24. pass — to succeed

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