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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rule — government
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. track — to keep track
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. track — a path
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stock — shares
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. tube — a container
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stock — goods
  20. track — a song
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rule — a law
  23. roll — a list
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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