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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cue — a signal
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cue — for pool
  11. firm — steady
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stock — shares
  14. drill — the tool
  15. club — a group
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. firm — a company
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. club — for golf
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stock — goods
  24. firm — decided

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