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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stock — shares
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cue — for pool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bulb — for light
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stock — goods
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mug — a face
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cold — the Cold War

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