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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stock — goods
  4. bank — of a river
  5. clip — for paper
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. root — the cause
  10. bank — for money
  11. squash — to crush
  12. clip — a video
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stock — shares
  17. track — to keep track
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bank — for money
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. clip — to cut
  24. root — of a word

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