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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. cue — a signal
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stock — goods
  8. cue — a hint
  9. object — a thing
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stock — shares
  12. mark — a trace
  13. object — an aim
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stem — to come from
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. swing — to play on
  20. band — a ring
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. swing — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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