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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. kid — to tease
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ball — a dance
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. kid — child
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — shares
  12. cue — for pool
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stock — goods
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stock — a soup base

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