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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stock — goods
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bank — of a river
  7. march — the month
  8. bank — for money
  9. march — the month
  10. club — a group
  11. chip — for betting
  12. club — for dancing
  13. hand — help
  14. cue — a hint
  15. march — music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. club — for golf
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stock — shares
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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