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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bank — for money
  4. cue — for pool
  5. chest — a box
  6. cue — a hint
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stock — shares
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rule — government
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stock — goods
  19. bank — for money
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rule — a law
  24. cue — a signal

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