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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cue — a signal
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cue — a hint
  7. staff — employees
  8. stock — shares
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. root — the cause
  12. cue — for pool
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stock — goods
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. shower — rain
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. scale — size or range
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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