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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. hand — help
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stock — goods
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. track — a song
  16. spell — a short time
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. spell — magic
  20. stock — shares
  21. hand — in cards
  22. spell — letters
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cue — a hint

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