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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cue — for pool
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stock — shares
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stock — goods
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. chip — to eat
  15. tear — to rip
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pass — a permit
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cue — a signal
  23. mark — a trace
  24. present — there

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