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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fall — the season
  3. cue — a signal
  4. march — the month
  5. branch — a division
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pop — to visit
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stock — goods
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pop — music
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pop — soda
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stock — shares
  18. march — music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. march — the month
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. branch — of a bank

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