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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. march — the month
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stock — goods
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stock — shares
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. march — the month
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. band — a music group
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bear — the animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. cap — a hat
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mine — for digging
  23. march — music
  24. mine — an explosive

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