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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. branch — a division
  6. stock — shares
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bound — obliged
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. game — wild animals
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. game — a match
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mouse — the animal

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