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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. stock — goods
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mark — a grade
  6. firm — a company
  7. stock — shares
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. firm — steady
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. firm — decided
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cue — for pool
  24. fork — in a road

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