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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mark — a trace
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cue — a hint
  11. staff — employees
  12. cue — for pool
  13. clip — to cut
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mark — a grade
  17. can — a tin
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stock — shares
  23. pass — a permit
  24. staff — employees

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