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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stem — to come from
  3. firm — steady
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stock — shares
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. firm — a company
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cue — for pool
  12. staff — employees
  13. land — a country
  14. stock — goods
  15. land — ground
  16. rule — government
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. land — to come down
  19. staff — employees
  20. rule — a law
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cue — a signal

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