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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — shares
  6. roll — a cake
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. vault — a safe
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. roll — a list
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. roll — on a roll

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