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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bank — for money
  4. land — ground
  5. cap — of ice
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — magic
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cap — a hat
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bank — of a river
  17. land — a country
  18. stock — goods
  19. bank — for money
  20. cue — a signal
  21. spell — letters
  22. staff — employees
  23. land — to come down
  24. spell — a short time

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