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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. toast — bread
  7. cue — a hint
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. present — the time now
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. firm — decided
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. staff — employees
  19. firm — a company
  20. staff — employees
  21. mine — for digging
  22. firm — steady
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mine — an explosive

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