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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. object — a thing
  3. spring — of water
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. spring — the season
  6. cue — for pool
  7. plane — a tool
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. object — to protest
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. object — an aim
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pit — a hole
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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