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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cue — a signal
  3. date — the fruit
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. stock — goods
  7. band — a music group
  8. rest — a break
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lean — thin
  12. cue — a hint
  13. band — a ring
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stock — shares
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cue — for pool
  18. net — for catching
  19. rest — what's left
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. roll — a cake
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. roll — a list

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