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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mug — a face
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cue — a hint
  11. charge — a price
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mug — a cup
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stock — goods
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — in control
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stock — shares

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