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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cue — for pool
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. hand — in cards
  5. press — to push
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. hand — help
  8. rest — a break
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stock — goods
  12. row — to paddle
  13. squash — to crush
  14. court — for sport
  15. press — newspapers
  16. court — of law
  17. cue — a signal
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stock — shares
  23. court — of a king
  24. rest — what's left

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