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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cue — a signal
  3. charge — a price
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. present — a gift
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fine — all right
  11. present — the time now
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. present — there
  14. stock — goods
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. charge — in control
  20. stock — shares
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hand — help

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