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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. pass — a permit
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cold — not warm
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stock — shares
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stock — goods
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stock — a soup base
  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