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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stock — shares
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. hand — help

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