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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. season — in sport
  3. cue — for pool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. cue — a signal
  8. race — the arms race
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bore — to tire
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bass — the fish
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. bass — low music
  18. bore — to drill
  19. race — a contest
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. race — humankind
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bore — gave birth

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