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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. staff — employees
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stock — shares
  8. staff — employees
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. staff — a stick
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stock — goods
  15. bat — the animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. hand — help
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cell — in biology
  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