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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cap — a hat
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stock — goods
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stand — to bear
  15. game — wild animals
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wound — an injury
  22. game — a match
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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